Ultra-sensitive radon assay using an electrostatic chamber in a recirculating system

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.170876 · OSTI ID:2892530

Anker, Astrid  ^[1]; Breur, P. A.; Mong, B.; Acharya, P.; Amy, A.; Angelico, E.; Arnquist, Issac J.; Atencio, A.; Bane, J.; Belov, V.; Bernard, E. P.; Bhatta, T.; Bolotnikov, Aleksey ; Breslin, J.; Brodsky, J. P.; Bron, S.; Brown, E.; Brunner, T.; Burnell, B.; Caden, E. ; Cao, L. Q.; Cao, G. F.; Cesmecioglu, D.; Chernyak, D.; Chiu, M.; Collister, R.; Daniels, T.; Darroch, L.; DeVoe, R.; di Vacri, Maria Laura; Ding, Y. Y.; Dolinski, M. J.; Dragone, A.; Eckert, B.; Elbeltagi, M.; Emara, A.; Fairbank, W.; Fatemighomi, N.; Foust, B.; Fu, Y. S.; Gallacher, D.; Gallice, N.; Giacomini, G.; Gillis, W.; Gorham, Aron; Gornea, R.; Gratta, G.; Guan, Y. D.; Hardy, C. A.; Hedges, S.; Heffner, M.; Hein, E.; Holt, J. D.; Iverson, A.; Jiang, X. S.; Karelin, A.; Keblbeck, D.; Kotov, I.; Kuchenkov, A.; Kumar, K. S.; Larson, A.; Latif, M. B.; Leach, K. G.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lennarz, A.; Leonard, D. S.; Leung, K.; Lewis, H.; Li, G.; Li, X.; Li, Z.; Licciardi, C.; Lindsay, R.; MacLellan, R.; Majidi, S.; Malbrunot, C.; Marquis, M.; Masbou, J.; Medina-Peregrina, M.; Mngonyama, S.; Moore, D. C.; Ngwadla, X. E.; Ni, K.; Nolan, A.; Nowicki, S. C.; Nzobadila Ondze, J. C.; Odian, A.; Orrell, John L. ; Ortega, Gabriel S.; Overman, Cory T.; Pagani, Luca ; Peltz Smalley, H.; Perna, A.; Piepke, A.; Pocar, A.; Radeka, V.; Raguzin, E.; Rai, R.; Rasiwala, H.; Ray, D.; Rescia, S.; Retière, F.; Richardson, G.; Rocco, Nicole; Ross, R.; Rowson, P. C.; Saldanha, Richard ; Sangiorgio, S.; Sekula, S.; Shetty, T.; Si, L.; Spadoni, F.; Stekhanov, V.; Sun, X. L.; Thibado, S.; Totev, T.; Triambak, S.; Tsang, R. H. M.; Tyuka, O. A.; van Bruggen, E.; Vidal, M.; Viel, S.; Walent, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Q. D.; Wang, Y. G.; Watts, M.; Wehrfritz, M.; Wei, W.; Wen, L. J.; Wichoski, U.; Wilde, S.; Worcester, M.; Wu, X. M.; Xu, H.; Yang, H. B.; Yang, L.; Yu, M.; Zeldovich, O.; Zhao, J.

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1. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States); et al.

Rare event searches such as neutrinoless double beta decay and Weakly Interacting Massive Particle detection require ultra-low background detectors. Radon contamination is a significant challenge for these experiments, which employ highly sensitive radon assay techniques to identify and select low-emission materials. This work presents the development of ultra-sensitive electrostatic chamber (ESC) instruments designed to measure radon emanation in a recirculating gas loop, for future lower background experiments. Unlike traditional methods that separate emanation and detection steps, this system allows continuous radon transport and detection. This is made possible with a custom-built recirculation pump. A Python-based analysis framework, PyDAn, was developed to process and fit time-dependent radon decay data. Radon emanation rates are given for various materials measured with this instrument. A radon source of known activity provides an absolute calibration, enabling statistically-limited minimal detectable activities of 20 µBq. These devices are powerful tools for screening materials in the development of low-background particle physics experiments.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford University, CA (United States); Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515; AC05-76RL01830; AC52-07NA27344; FG02-01ER41166; FG02-93ER40789; SC0012654; SC0012704; SC0014517; SC0017970; SC0020509; SC0021383; SC0021388; SC0024666; SC0024677
• OSTI ID: 2892530
• Report Number(s): BNL--229137-2025-JAAM; PNNL-SA--216535
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Vol. 1081; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English