Background: Cosmic-Ray Muon
The detectors are susceptible to noise signals. Occasionally muons produced by the cosmic-ray pass through the detector and produce signals, decreasing the accuracy of the experiment.
Shielding Antineutrino Detectors From Background
Each detector module is enclosed by 2.5 m of water to shield energetic neutrons produced by cosmic-ray muons and gamma-rays from the surrounding rock.
In order to study the cosmic-ray muon, a modified Gaisser parametrization is used for the cosmic-ray flux at the surface. Then a method called MUSIC is used with the mountain profile to estimate the muon intensity and energy.
Surviving gammas vs. the thickness of water.
Neutron background vs. thickness of water.
Below is an example of muon system:
Uncorrelated Background:
Sources: U, Th, K, Rn, neutron
1. Single gamma rate @ 0.9MeV < 50Hz/module
2. Single neutron rate < 1000/day/module
Correlated Background:
1. Fast Neutrons: double coincidence
2. 8He/9Li: beta-neutron emitting decays