The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso

The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso
NIM-A Volume 600, Issue 3, 11 March 2009, Pages 568-593.   doi:10.1016/j.nima.2008.11.076  (local copy; preprint on arXiv)
Submitted 24 June 2008, Revised 25 October 2008, Accepted 7 November 2008, Available online 30 November 2008.

Abstract

Borexino, a large volume detector for low energy neutrino spectroscopy, is currently running underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy.  The main goal of the experiment is the real-time measurement of sub-MeV solar neutrinos, and particularly of the monoenergetic (862 keV) ⁷Be electron capture neutrinos, via neutrino–electron scattering in an ultra-pure liquid scintillator.  This paper is mostly devoted to the description of the detector structure, the photomultipliers, the electronics, and the trigger and calibration systems. The real performance of the detector, which always meets, and sometimes exceeds, design expectations, is also shown. Some important aspects of the Borexino project, i.e. the fluid handling plants, the purification techniques and the filling procedures, are not covered in this paper and are, or will be, published elsewhere (see Introduction and Bibliography).