Neutron Spallation Measurements And Impacts On Low Background Experiments

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, 90(3):Article No. 034607

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.034607· OSTI ID:1214076

Aguayo, Estanislao; Kouzes, Richard T.; Siciliano, Edward R.

Ultra-low background experiments, such as neutrinoless double beta decay, carried out deep underground to escape cosmic ray backgrounds can nonetheless be limited in sensitivity by cosmogenically induced signals. This limit can either be produced directly during operation from cosmic muon events in the detector volume, or can be produced by radioactive decay of cosmogenically generated radionuclides created while the detector materials were above ground. An accurate knowledge of the production of the latter source of background is of paramount importance in order to be able to interpret the results of low-background experiments.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1214076
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-101429; KB0401022
• Journal Information: Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, 90(3):Article No. 034607, Journal Name: Physical Review. C, Nuclear Physics, 90(3):Article No. 034607
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

neutron detection
ship effect
low background experiments
neutrinoless double beta decay