Subsurface cosmogenic and radiogenic production of 42Ar

Poudel, Sagar Sharma; Loer, Ben M.; Saldanha, Richard N.; Hackett, Brianne R.; Back, Henning O.

doi:10.1103/physrevd.110.082010

Title: Subsurface cosmogenic and radiogenic production of ⁴²Ar

Journal Article · 30 October 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.110.082010 · OSTI ID:2475919

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^[2]; Back, Henning O. ^[2]

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD (United States); Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Radioactive decays from ⁴²Ar and its progeny ⁴²K are potential background sources in large-scale liquid-argon-based neutrino and dark matter experiments. In the atmosphere, ⁴²Ar is produced primarily by cosmogenic activation on ⁴⁰Ar. The use of low radioactivity argon from cosmogenically shielded underground sources can expand the reach and sensitivity of liquid-argon-based rare event searches. We estimate ⁴²Ar production underground by nuclear reactions induced by natural radioactivity and cosmic-ray muon-induced interactions. At 3,000 mwe, ⁴²Ar production rate is 1.8×10^-3 atoms per ton of crust per year, 7 orders of magnitude smaller than the ³⁹Ar production rate at a similar depth in the crust. In conclusion, by comparing the calculated production rate of ⁴²Ar to that of ³⁹Ar for which the concentration has been measured in an underground gas sample, we estimate the activity of ⁴²Ar in gas extracted from 3,000 mwe depth to be less than two decays per ton of argon per year.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2475919

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--189139

Journal Information:: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 110; ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Subsurface cosmogenic and radiogenic production of ⁴²Ar