Simulating Light Propagation and Modeling the JSNS$^{\mathrm{2}}$ Detector

The J-PARC Sterile Neutrino Search at the J-PARC Spallation Neutron Source (JSNS$^{\mathrm{2}})$ aims to prove the existence or non-existence of light sterile neutrinos. JSNS$^{\mathrm{2}}$ will look for muon-antineutrino to electron-antineutrino$_{\mathrm{\thinspace }}$oscillations over a 24 m baseline using the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) at the Material and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) in Tokai, Japan. The detector will be composed of two cylindrical tanks each filled with 25 tons of Gd-doped liquid scintillator with a height and diameter of 3.4 meters. The RAT analysis tool is used to model the detector and simulate light propagation within. Pulse shape discrimination methods are used to distinguish between positrons and neutrons to correctly identify electron-antineutrino-induced inverse beta decay events amongst cosmic background. This talk will introduce the JSNS$^{\mathrm{2}}$ experiment and design, with a focus on simulating various event classes in the detector.