Water-based Liquid Scintillator Development

The water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) is a new detection medium that has multiple applications in neutrino physics and other rare-event detections. The WbLS acts as the primary detector target allowing flexible detector design, minimum chemical hazard, and adjustable scintillation light yield to meet the performance requirements for the next-generation particle physics experiments. In addition, the separation of scintillation and Cherenkov events enables directional reconstruction and enhances low energy efficiency. The WbLS also provides a new approach loading isotopes including inorganic metallic ions into the organic scintillator liquid to enhance detector sensitivity and expand physics reach for a wide range of particle interactions. This talk will report on the feasibility development, in terms of formulation, characterization, and production, for kiloton-scale WbLS deployments using the benchtop and prototyping study at BNL. The application of Gd-water purification system and the nanofiltration system for in-situ WbLS circulation will also be discussed.