The Design, Construction, and Initial Characterization of an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System
ABSTRACT Over the past several years, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed an ultra-low background proportional counter (ULBPC) technology. The resulting detector is the product of an effort to produce a low-background, physically robust gas proportional counter for applications like radon emanation measurements, groundwater tritium, and 37Ar. In order to fully take advantage of the inherent low-background properties designed into the ULBPC, a comparably low-background dedicated counting system is required. An ultra-low-background counting system (ULBCS) was recently built in the new shallow underground laboratory at PNNL. With a design depth of 30 meters water-equivalent, the shallow underground laboratory provides approximately 100x fewer fast neutrons and 6x fewer muons than a surface location. The ULBCS itself provides additional shielding in the form of active anti-cosmic veto (via 2-in. thick plastic scintillator paddles) and passive borated poly (1 in.), lead (6 in.), and copper (~3 in.) shielding. This work will provide details on PNNL’s new shallow underground laboratory, examine the motivation for the design of the counting system, and provide results from the characterization of the ULBCS, including initial detector background.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1194338
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-86743; NN2001000
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 296(2):915-921, Journal Name: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 296(2):915-921
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Controlling Low-Rate Signal Path Microdischarge for an Ultra-Low-Background Proportional Counter
Calibration of an ultra-low-background proportional counter for measuring {sup 37}Ar