Development of a 1-ton Gadolinium-doped Water Cherenkov Detector for Future Reactor Neutrino Studies in Türkiye

To reconstruct the energy of neutrinos correctly, the byproducts of neutrino-nucleus interactions such as neutrons, protons, muons, etc., must be investigated carefully and well understood. Charged particle events (protons, muons, etc.) are easier to reconstruct, but generally, most neutrino interaction events involve a mix of charged and neutral particles. So, that wouldn’t be possible to calculate the neutrino energy accurately without precisely measuring the neutron component resulting from neutrino interactions. In this study, by designing a controlled, compact, and portable experimental setup, we aim to measure the number of neutrons in a symmetric 1-ton Gadolinium (Gd) loaded water Cherenkov detector produced from the AmBe point source with the nominal activity of 3.7 MBq. We want to develop a comprehensive neutron interaction model and compare it with the previous results. We aim to use this detector for future reactor neutrino studies and to develop a new neutrino studies program in Türkiye.