A Ton-Scale NaI Detector for Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering Studies

The COHERENT collaboration is measuring coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) on various nuclei in several detector systems located at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), in Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), USA. CEvNS is well calculated in the standard model, is important in supernova processes and serves as a background for direct dark-matter searches. The collaboration plans to deploy a ton-scale NaI[Tl] scintillation crystal based detector and a larger array in the future. The large-mass NaI[Tl] detector has the promise to measure both CEvNS and the charged current neutrino interaction cross section on 127 ^{127} I, which is sensitive to gA _A quenching. Shielding requirements and space limitations constrain the modular detector design. Extensive neutron background measurements, studies from the NaI-185kg prototype currently deployed at the SNS and multiple simulations contribute to the shielding design. The ton-scale NaI detector development will be presented