The effect of neutrons on the background of HPGe detectors operating deep underground

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68407700%3A90107%2F22%3A00363779" target="_blank" >RIV/68407700:90107/22:00363779 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102756" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102756</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102756" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.astropartphys.2022.102756</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

The effect of neutrons on the background of HPGe detectors operating deep underground

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

The background of a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector measured in a deep underground laboratory was investigated analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT4 toolkit. Contributions of different background sources to the experimental gamma-ray background were determined. Namely, contribution of radionuclides in materials of the detector and around the detector, neutrons produced by (alpha, n) reactions due to presence of radionuclides in rock and concrete and by spontaneous fission of mainly U-238, and finally, cosmic rays with neutron generation. The simulation, including radionuclides in the material, was in a good agreement with the experiment. At the same time, neutron and muon induced spectra were simulated. The radiation coming from the presence of members of the U-238, and Th-232 decay series, and K-40 in the detector parts and the laboratory walls contribute to the continuum of the experimental spectrum at the level of around 94%. According to simulations, the contribution of muon events to the experimental energy spectrum was below 1% and it was confirmed that muon induced spectra are about three orders of magnitude lower than the experimental one. The comparison of integral count rates of the experimental spectrum with the simulated spectrum induced by neutrons showed that about 6% of the measured background continuum originated from neutron reactions. Fast neutrons contributed more to the background (at around 65%) than thermal neutrons. Despite only a 6% share of neutron contributions in the total gamma-ray background, they contributed mainly to the lower continuum of the spectrum up to 250 keV, which is a region of interest for potential low mass weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter interactions. In addition, they interact with the detector and the shield by inelastic scattering and induce unwanted gamma-rays. Neutron capture, elastic and inelastic scattering were simulated separately as well. It was found that inela

Název v anglickém jazyce

The effect of neutrons on the background of HPGe detectors operating deep underground

Popis výsledku anglicky

The background of a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector measured in a deep underground laboratory was investigated analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT4 toolkit. Contributions of different background sources to the experimental gamma-ray background were determined. Namely, contribution of radionuclides in materials of the detector and around the detector, neutrons produced by (alpha, n) reactions due to presence of radionuclides in rock and concrete and by spontaneous fission of mainly U-238, and finally, cosmic rays with neutron generation. The simulation, including radionuclides in the material, was in a good agreement with the experiment. At the same time, neutron and muon induced spectra were simulated. The radiation coming from the presence of members of the U-238, and Th-232 decay series, and K-40 in the detector parts and the laboratory walls contribute to the continuum of the experimental spectrum at the level of around 94%. According to simulations, the contribution of muon events to the experimental energy spectrum was below 1% and it was confirmed that muon induced spectra are about three orders of magnitude lower than the experimental one. The comparison of integral count rates of the experimental spectrum with the simulated spectrum induced by neutrons showed that about 6% of the measured background continuum originated from neutron reactions. Fast neutrons contributed more to the background (at around 65%) than thermal neutrons. Despite only a 6% share of neutron contributions in the total gamma-ray background, they contributed mainly to the lower continuum of the spectrum up to 250 keV, which is a region of interest for potential low mass weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter interactions. In addition, they interact with the detector and the shield by inelastic scattering and induce unwanted gamma-rays. Neutron capture, elastic and inelastic scattering were simulated separately as well. It was found that inela

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10304 - Nuclear physics

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

—

Rok uplatnění

2022

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Astroparticle Physics

ISSN

0927-6505

e-ISSN

1873-2852

Svazek periodika

143

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

102756

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

13

Strana od-do

1-13

Kód UT WoS článku

000842930500003

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

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