Magnetically-coupled piston pump for high-purity gas applications

Journal Article · 27 July 2018 · European Physical Journal. C, Particles and Fields

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-6062-z · OSTI ID:1461923

Brown, E. ^[1]; Buss, A. ^[2]; Fieguth, A. ^[2]; Huhmann, C. ^[2]; Murra, M. ^[2]; Ortjohann, H. -W. ^[2]; Rosendahl, S. ^[2]; Schubert, A. ^[3]; Schulte, D. ^[2]; Tosi, D. ^[3]; Gratta, G. ^[3]; Weinheimer, C. ^[2]

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1. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Germany); Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
2. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Germany)
3. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Experiments based on noble elements such as gaseous or liquid argon or xenon utilize the ionization and scintillation properties of the target materials to detect radiation-induced recoils. A requirement for high light and charge yields is to reduce electronegative impurities well below the ppb (parts per billion, 1 ppb =1×10^-9 mol/mol) level. To achieve this, the target material is continuously circulated in the gas phase through a purifier and returned to the detector. Additionally, the low backgrounds necessary dictate low-Rn-emanation rates from all components that contact the gas. Since commercial pumps often introduce electronegative impurities from lubricants on internal components or through small air leaks, and are not designed to meet the radiopurity requirements, custom-built pumps are an advantageous alternative. A new pump has been developed in Muenster in cooperation with the nEXO group at Stanford University and the nEXO/XENON group at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute based on a magnetically-coupled piston in a hermetically sealed low-Rn-emanating vessel. This pump delivers high performance for noble gases, reaching more than 210 standard liters per minute (slpm) with argon and more than 170 slpm with xenon while maintaining a compression of up to 1.9 bar, demonstrating its capability for noble gas detectors and other applications requiring high standards of gas purity.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0009841; SC0017970
• OSTI ID: 1461923
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1510276
• Journal Information: European Physical Journal. C, Particles and Fields, Vol. 78, Issue 7; ISSN 1434-6044
• Publisher: SpringerCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English