Results of the BiPo-1 prototype for radiopurity measurements for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils
The development of BiPo detectors is dedicated to the measurement of extremely high radiopurity in 208Tl and 214Bi for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils. A modular prototype, called BiPo-1, with 0.8m2 of sensitive surface area, has been running in the Modane Underground Laboratory since February, 2008. The goal of BiPo-1 is to measure the different components of the background and in particular the surface radiopurity of the plastic scintillators that make up the detector. The first phase of data collection has been dedicated to the measurement of the radiopurity in 208Tl. After more than one year of background measurement, a surface activity of the scintillators of Að208TlÞ ¼ 1:5mBq=m2 is reported here. Given this level of background, a larger BiPo detector having 12m2 of active surface area, is able to qualify the radiopurity of the SuperNEMO selenium double beta decay foils with the required sensitivity of Að208TlÞo2mBq=kg (90% C.L.) with a six month measurement.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1020282
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-11-21077; TRN: US201116%%229
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, Vol. 622, Issue 1; ISSN 0168-9002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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