Gadolinium-based hybrid ultra-low-background material for protecting the darkside20k dark matter detector from background neutrons

Abstract

A laboratory technique was developed for obtaining an ultra-low-background hybrid material based on organic glass - polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). 157Gd nuclei are used as an efficient absorber of thermal neutrons in the hybrid material. A uniform distribution of gadolinium in the PMMAmatrix is achieved by introducing he gadolinium in the form of a coordination compound -gadolinium acetylacetonate- into the hybrid material