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The BUTTON-30 detector at Boulby

J. Bae, M. Bergevin, E. P. Bernard, D. S. Bhattacharya, J. Boissevain, S. Boyd, K. Bridges, L. Capponi, J. Coleman, D. Costanzo, T. Cunniffe, S. A. Dazeley, M. V. Diwan, S. R. Durham, E. Ellingwood, A. Enqvist, T. Gamble, S. Gokhale, J. Gooding, C. Graham, E. Gunger, J. J. Hecla, W. Hopkins, I. Jovanovic, T. Kaptanoglu, E. Kneale, L. Lebanowski, K. Lester, V. A. Li, M. Malek, C. Mauger, N. McCauley, C. Metelko, R. Mills, A. Morgan, F. Muheim, A. Murphy, M. Needham, K. Ogren, G. D. Orebi Gann, S. M. Paling, A. F. Papatyi, A. Petts, G. Pinkney, J. Puputti, S. Quillin, B. Richards, R. Rosero, A. Scarff, Y. Schnellbach, P. R. Scovell, B. Seitz, L. Sexton, O. Shea, G. D. Smith, R. Svoboda, D. Swinnock, A. Tarrant, F. Thomson, J. N. Tinsley, C. Toth, M. Vagins, G. Yang, M. Yeh, E. Zhemchugov

TL;DR

The BUTTON-30 paper presents a 30-tonne hybrid Cherenkov–scintillation detector deployed at the Boulby Underground Laboratory to test simultaneous Cherenkov and scintillation light from neutrino interactions in a low-background, underground environment. It details the design and construction of the tank, the 96 encapsulated PMTs, the water-purification system, calibration sources and light-injection methods, and the DAQ/readout architecture, along with background modeling based on radiopurity assays and RAT-PAC-2 simulations. The work establishes methodologies for underground deployment of Gd-doped water-based liquid scintillator and outlines a data-taking plan commencing in Autumn 2025 with baseline water and subsequent WbLS/Gd fills, aiming to inform the path toward kiloton-scale hybrid detectors. These results contribute to understanding backgrounds, calibration, and detector performance in deep underground, low-background environments, with implications for nonproliferation, nuclear safeguards, and fundamental neutrino physics.

Abstract

The BUTTON-30 detector is a 30-tonne technology demonstrator designed to evaluate the potential of hybrid event detection, simultaneously exploiting both Cherenkov and scintillation light to detect particle produced in neutrino interactions. The detector is installed at a depth of 1.1 km in the Boulby Underground Laboratory allowing to test the performance of this new technology underground in a low background environment. This paper describes the design and construction of the experiment.

The BUTTON-30 detector at Boulby

TL;DR

The BUTTON-30 paper presents a 30-tonne hybrid Cherenkov–scintillation detector deployed at the Boulby Underground Laboratory to test simultaneous Cherenkov and scintillation light from neutrino interactions in a low-background, underground environment. It details the design and construction of the tank, the 96 encapsulated PMTs, the water-purification system, calibration sources and light-injection methods, and the DAQ/readout architecture, along with background modeling based on radiopurity assays and RAT-PAC-2 simulations. The work establishes methodologies for underground deployment of Gd-doped water-based liquid scintillator and outlines a data-taking plan commencing in Autumn 2025 with baseline water and subsequent WbLS/Gd fills, aiming to inform the path toward kiloton-scale hybrid detectors. These results contribute to understanding backgrounds, calibration, and detector performance in deep underground, low-background environments, with implications for nonproliferation, nuclear safeguards, and fundamental neutrino physics.

Abstract

The BUTTON-30 detector is a 30-tonne technology demonstrator designed to evaluate the potential of hybrid event detection, simultaneously exploiting both Cherenkov and scintillation light to detect particle produced in neutrino interactions. The detector is installed at a depth of 1.1 km in the Boulby Underground Laboratory allowing to test the performance of this new technology underground in a low background environment. This paper describes the design and construction of the experiment.
Paper Structure (8 sections, 10 figures, 3 tables)

This paper contains 8 sections, 10 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Material Selection and Radioassay
  3. Tank design
  4. Optical detection system
  5. Calibration
  6. DAQ and data processing
  7. Radioactive background rates
  8. Summary

Figures (10)

  • Figure 1: (Left) CAD model of the BUTTON-30 detector tank, illustrating the placement of the PMT support structure (PSUP) and the mounting positions of the optical modules. (Right) Photograph of the fully constructed tank installed in the Boulby Underground Laboratory.
  • Figure 2: Schematic of the BUTTON-30 water purification and circulation system. The diagram shows the filtration, deionization, and bacterial removal stages used to maintain high optical transparency and compatibility with both gadolinium-doped water and WbLS.
  • Figure 3: Geant4 simulation model of an encapsulated optical module.
  • Figure 4: (Left) Installation of the barrel optical modules on the PSUP. (Right) Photograph of the optical modules mounted on the PSUP barrel frames inside the tank, showing the arrangement used to achieve uniform photocoverage. The black polyethylene liner is also visible.
  • Figure 5: CAD model of the calibration source cassette, including the reel, motor, sealed source container, and the cassette deployment system mounted on the tank lid for positioning radioactive calibration sources.
  • ...and 5 more figures