Fast neutron background measurements at shallow depths

We report on measurements of the neutron backgrounds for neutrino experiments at shallow depth (such as the proposed San Onofre neutrino oscillation experiment). A detector capable of pulse-shape discrimination measured the flux of fast neutrons at 20 mwe depth in the Stanford Underground Facility to be (1.07 ± 0.30) X 10-6 cm-2 s-1. An experiment, situated in the Tendon Gallery of the San Onofre Unit 2 reactor. studied spallation neutrons from muons traversing Pb and Cu. An underground experiment in the SUF, employing a detector filled with Gd-loaded liquid scintillator, is measuring the neutron production rate and multiplicity for muon spallation in low-A material (hydrocarbon-based liquid scintillator)