Study of Polysterene Based Scintillator Ageing in the DANSS Experiment

DANSS is a spectrometer for reactor antineutrinos based on plastic scintillator. The sensitive volume of the detector is made of 2500 polystyrene based scintillator plates with wavelength shifting (WLS) fiber readout (strips). We present a study of the light yield of strips during 6.5 years of DANSS continuous running. Overall ageing at the rate 0 . 55 +/- 0 . 05 ( syst .) % per year is observed that is considerably smaller than in other similar experiments. We also observe the WLS fiber attenuation length shortening at the rate 0 . 26 +/- 0 . 04 ( stat .) % per year.