This article details the potential for using Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) to detect low-energy neutrinos through their coherent scattering with nuclei. The detection of neutrinos through this standard model process has not been accessible because of
the small energy deposited in such interactions with the detector nuclei. Typical particle detectors have thresholds of a few keV, and most of the energy deposition expected from coherent scattering is well below this level. The devices we discuss can be operated at a threshold of approximately 30 eV, making them ideal for observing this signal. For example, the number of coherent scattering events expected on a 52 gram CCD array located next to a power nuclear reactor is estimated as approximately 626 events/year. The results of our study show that detection at a confidence level of 99% can be reached within three months for this kind of detector array.
Scientific CCDs designed in thick high resistivity silicon (Si) are excellent detectors for astronomy, high energy and nuclear physics, and instrumentation. Many applications can benefit from CCDs ultra low noise readout systems. The present work sho
ws how sub electron noise CCD images can be achieved using digital signal processing techniques. These techniques allow readout bandwidths of up to 10 K pixels per second and keep the full CCD spatial resolution and signal dynamic range.
