Evaluation of cosmogenic production of  39Ar and  42Ar for rare-event physics using underground argon

Zhang, C.; Mei, D. -M.

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102733

Title: Evaluation of cosmogenic production of ³⁹Ar and ⁴²Ar for rare-event physics using underground argon

Journal Article · Fri May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102733· OSTI ID:1976881

Zhang, C. ^[1]; Mei, D. -M. ^[2]

Mount Marty University, Yankton, SD (United States)
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD (United States)

Underground argon (UAr) with lower cosmogenic activities of ³⁹Ar and ⁴²Ar has been planned as a detector in detecting scintillation light and charge collection using time projection chambers for dark matter searches and as a veto detector in suppressing backgrounds for neutrinoless double beta decay (0$vββ$ ) experiments. Long-lived radioactive isotopes, ³⁹Ar and ⁴²Ar, can also be produced on the surface when UAr is pumped out from a deep well. Understanding the production of long-lived isotopes in Ar is important for utilizing UAr for dark matter and 0$vββ$ experiments in terms of its production, transportation, and storage. Ar exposure to cosmic rays at sea-level is simulated using Geant4 for a given cosmic ray muon, neutron, and proton energy spectrum. Here we report the simulated cosmogenic production rates of ³⁹Ar, ⁴²Ar, and other long-lived isotopes at sea-level from fast neutrons, high energy muons, and high energy protons. Total production rates of 938.53/kg_Ar day and 5.81 × 10^-3/kg_Ar day for ³⁹Ar and ⁴²Ar are found from our simulation. Utilizing these production rates, we set a time limit of 954 days constrained by the production of ³⁹Ar for UAr to be on the surface before it compromises the sensitivity for a dark matter experiment. Similarly, a time limit of 1702 days constrained by the production of ⁴²Ar is found for a 0$vββ$ experiment.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF); University of South Dakota; State of South Dakota

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-10ER46709; SC0004768

OSTI ID:: 1976881

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1870334

Journal Information:: Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 142, Issue C; ISSN 0927-6505

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Evaluation of cosmogenic production of ³⁹Ar and ⁴²Ar for rare-event physics using underground argon