The purpose of the NuDot project is the construction of a prototype directional liquid scintillator detector. It will achieve this by using state-of-the-art photodetectors with picosecond timing and novel scintillators to separate Cherenkov light from scintillation light. The prototype will start with 140 2″ PMTs for timing and 72 large (8-12″) PMTs for light collection. Bates is assisting Professor Lindley Winslow, who joined MIT in January 2015, with two items for this project. The large PMTs need new bases with a compact design so that they may be potted for submersion in mineral oil. A prototype board based on the original base should be available shortly. This summer we are conducting a test of the readout electronics. Due to the picosecond timing, custom electronics are needed and have been borrowed from the University of Chicago. We are setting up a simple system of 30 2″ PMTs to test these electronics and intend to demonstrate the Cherenkov vs. Scintillation light separation, which is the first step to demonstration in the larger NuDot prototype. Support at Bates has consisted of Electrical and Mechanical engineering at the level of 0.1 man-years of engineer for BY 2015, and will amount to 0.5 FTE engineer for BY 2016.
