Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

(The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Collaboration)

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391

Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

(The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Collaboration)

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Deep underground environments are ideal for low background searches due to the attenuation of cosmic rays by passage through the earth. However, they are affected by backgrounds from γ-rays emitted by ⁴⁰K and the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th decay chains in the surrounding rock. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a liquid xenon TPC located within the Davis campus at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, South Dakota, at the 4850-foot level. In order to characterise the cavern background, in-situ γ-ray measurements were taken with a sodium iodide detector in various locations and with lead shielding. The integral count rates (0–3300 keV) varied from 596 Hz to 1355 Hz for unshielded measurements, corresponding to a total flux from the cavern walls of 1.9 ± 0.4 γ cm⁻²s⁻¹. The resulting activity in the walls of the cavern can be characterised as 220 ± 60 Bq/kg of ⁴⁰K, 29 ± 15 Bq/kg of ²³⁸U, and 13 ± 3 Bq/kg of ²³²Th.

Original language	English
Article number	102391
Journal	Astroparticle Physics
Volume	116
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391
State	Published - Mar 2020

Keywords

Dark matter
Gamma rays
Gamma spectroscopy
Low background
Radiation
Underground

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10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391

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@article{5a41401fe9f747978458e2823b3aee13,

title = "Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility",

abstract = "Deep underground environments are ideal for low background searches due to the attenuation of cosmic rays by passage through the earth. However, they are affected by backgrounds from γ-rays emitted by 40K and the 238U and 232Th decay chains in the surrounding rock. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a liquid xenon TPC located within the Davis campus at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, South Dakota, at the 4850-foot level. In order to characterise the cavern background, in-situ γ-ray measurements were taken with a sodium iodide detector in various locations and with lead shielding. The integral count rates (0–3300 keV) varied from 596 Hz to 1355 Hz for unshielded measurements, corresponding to a total flux from the cavern walls of 1.9 ± 0.4 γ cm−2s−1. The resulting activity in the walls of the cavern can be characterised as 220 ± 60 Bq/kg of 40K, 29 ± 15 Bq/kg of 238U, and 13 ± 3 Bq/kg of 232Th.",

keywords = "Dark matter, Gamma rays, Gamma spectroscopy, Low background, Radiation, Underground",

author = "\{(The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Collaboration)\} and Akerib, \{D. S.\} and Akerlof, \{C. W.\} and Alsum, \{S. K.\} and N. Angelides and Ara{\'u}jo, \{H. M.\} and Armstrong, \{J. E.\} and M. Arthurs and X. Bai and J. Balajthy and S. Balashov and A. Baxter and Bernard, \{E. P.\} and A. Biekert and Biesiadzinski, \{T. P.\} and Boast, \{K. E.\} and B. Boxer and P. Br{\'a}s and Buckley, \{J. H.\} and Bugaev, \{V. V.\} and S. Burdin and Busenitz, \{J. K.\} and C. Carels and Carlsmith, \{D. L.\} and Carmona-Benitez, \{M. C.\} and M. Cascella and C. Chan and A. Cole and A. Cottle and Cutter, \{J. E.\} and Dahl, \{C. E.\} and \{de Viveiros\}, L. and Dobson, \{J. E.Y.\} and E. Druszkiewicz and Edberg, \{T. K.\} and A. Fan and S. Fiorucci and H. Flaecher and T. Fruth and Gaitskell, \{R. J.\} and J. Genovesi and C. Ghag and Gilchriese, \{M. G.D.\} and S. Gokhale and \{van der Grinten\}, \{M. G.D.\} and Hall, \{C. R.\} and S. Hans and J. Harrison and Haselschwardt, \{S. J.\} and Hertel, \{S. A.\} and Hor, \{J. Y.K.\} and M. Horn and Huang, \{D. Q.\} and Ignarra, \{C. M.\} and O. Jahangir and W. Ji and J. Johnson and Kaboth, \{A. C.\} and K. Kamdin and D. Khaitan and A. Khazov and Kim, \{W. T.\} and Kocher, \{C. D.\} and L. Korley and Korolkova, \{E. V.\} and J. Kras and H. Kraus and Kravitz, \{S. W.\} and L. Kreczko and B. Krikler and Kudryavtsev, \{V. A.\} and Leason, \{E. A.\} and J. Lee and Leonard, \{D. S.\} and Lesko, \{K. T.\} and C. Levy and J. Li and J. Liao and Liao, \{F. T.\} and J. Lin and A. Lindote and R. Linehan and Lippincott, \{W. H.\} and R. Liu and X. Liu and C. Loniewski and Lopes, \{M. I.\} and \{L{\'o}pez Paredes\}, B. and W. Lorenzon and S. Luitz and Lyle, \{J. M.\} and Majewski, \{P. A.\} and A. Manalaysay and L. Manenti and Mannino, \{R. L.\} and N. Marangou and Marzioni, \{M. F.\} and McKinsey, \{D. N.\} and J. McLaughlin and Y. Meng and Miller, \{E. H.\} and Monzani, \{M. E.\} and Morad, \{J. A.\} and E. Morrison and Mount, \{B. J.\} and Murphy, \{A. St J.\} and D. Naim and A. Naylor and C. Nedlik and C. Nehrkorn and Nelson, \{H. N.\} and F. Neves and J. Nikoleyczik and A. Nilima and I. Olcina and Oliver-Mallory, \{K. C.\} and S. Pal and Palladino, \{K. J.\} and Pease, \{E. K.\} and Penning, \{B. P.\} and G. Pereira and A. Piepke and K. Pushkin and J. Reichenbacher and Rhyne, \{C. A.\} and Q. Riffard and Rischbieter, \{G. R.C.\} and Rodrigues, \{J. P.\} and R. Rosero and P. Rossiter and G. Rutherford and Sazzad, \{A. B.M.R.\} and Schnee, \{R. W.\} and M. Schubnell and Scovell, \{P. R.\} and D. Seymour and S. Shaw and Shutt, \{T. A.\} and Silk, \{J. J.\} and C. Silva and M. Solmaz and Solovov, \{V. N.\} and P. Sorensen and I. Stancu and A. Stevens and Stiegler, \{T. M.\} and K. Stifter and M. Szydagis and Taylor, \{W. C.\} and R. Taylor and D. Temples and Terman, \{P. A.\} and Tiedt, \{D. R.\} and M. Timalsina and A. Tom{\'a}s and M. Tripathi and L. Tvrznikova and U. Utku and S. Uvarov and A. Vacheret and Wang, \{J. J.\} and Watson, \{J. R.\} and Webb, \{R. C.\} and White, \{R. G.\} and Whitis, \{T. J.\} and Wolfs, \{F. L.H.\} and D. Woodward and J. Yin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2020",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391",

language = "English",

volume = "116",

journal = "Astroparticle Physics",

issn = "0927-6505",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

AU - (The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Collaboration)

AU - Akerib, D. S.

AU - Akerlof, C. W.

AU - Alsum, S. K.

AU - Angelides, N.

AU - Araújo, H. M.

AU - Armstrong, J. E.

AU - Arthurs, M.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Balajthy, J.

AU - Balashov, S.

AU - Baxter, A.

AU - Bernard, E. P.

AU - Biekert, A.

AU - Biesiadzinski, T. P.

AU - Boast, K. E.

AU - Boxer, B.

AU - Brás, P.

AU - Buckley, J. H.

AU - Bugaev, V. V.

AU - Burdin, S.

AU - Busenitz, J. K.

AU - Carels, C.

AU - Carlsmith, D. L.

AU - Carmona-Benitez, M. C.

AU - Cascella, M.

AU - Chan, C.

AU - Cole, A.

AU - Cottle, A.

AU - Cutter, J. E.

AU - Dahl, C. E.

AU - de Viveiros, L.

AU - Dobson, J. E.Y.

AU - Druszkiewicz, E.

AU - Edberg, T. K.

AU - Fan, A.

AU - Fiorucci, S.

AU - Flaecher, H.

AU - Fruth, T.

AU - Gaitskell, R. J.

AU - Genovesi, J.

AU - Ghag, C.

AU - Gilchriese, M. G.D.

AU - Gokhale, S.

AU - van der Grinten, M. G.D.

AU - Hall, C. R.

AU - Hans, S.

AU - Harrison, J.

AU - Haselschwardt, S. J.

AU - Hertel, S. A.

AU - Hor, J. Y.K.

AU - Horn, M.

AU - Huang, D. Q.

AU - Ignarra, C. M.

AU - Jahangir, O.

AU - Ji, W.

AU - Johnson, J.

AU - Kaboth, A. C.

AU - Kamdin, K.

AU - Khaitan, D.

AU - Khazov, A.

AU - Kim, W. T.

AU - Kocher, C. D.

AU - Korley, L.

AU - Korolkova, E. V.

AU - Kras, J.

AU - Kraus, H.

AU - Kravitz, S. W.

AU - Kreczko, L.

AU - Krikler, B.

AU - Kudryavtsev, V. A.

AU - Leason, E. A.

AU - Lee, J.

AU - Leonard, D. S.

AU - Lesko, K. T.

AU - Levy, C.

AU - Li, J.

AU - Liao, J.

AU - Liao, F. T.

AU - Lin, J.

AU - Lindote, A.

AU - Linehan, R.

AU - Lippincott, W. H.

AU - Liu, R.

AU - Liu, X.

AU - Loniewski, C.

AU - Lopes, M. I.

AU - López Paredes, B.

AU - Lorenzon, W.

AU - Luitz, S.

AU - Lyle, J. M.

AU - Majewski, P. A.

AU - Manalaysay, A.

AU - Manenti, L.

AU - Mannino, R. L.

AU - Marangou, N.

AU - Marzioni, M. F.

AU - McKinsey, D. N.

AU - McLaughlin, J.

AU - Meng, Y.

AU - Miller, E. H.

AU - Monzani, M. E.

AU - Morad, J. A.

AU - Morrison, E.

AU - Mount, B. J.

AU - Murphy, A. St J.

AU - Naim, D.

AU - Naylor, A.

AU - Nedlik, C.

AU - Nehrkorn, C.

AU - Nelson, H. N.

AU - Neves, F.

AU - Nikoleyczik, J.

AU - Nilima, A.

AU - Olcina, I.

AU - Oliver-Mallory, K. C.

AU - Pal, S.

AU - Palladino, K. J.

AU - Pease, E. K.

AU - Penning, B. P.

AU - Pereira, G.

AU - Piepke, A.

AU - Pushkin, K.

AU - Reichenbacher, J.

AU - Rhyne, C. A.

AU - Riffard, Q.

AU - Rischbieter, G. R.C.

AU - Rodrigues, J. P.

AU - Rosero, R.

AU - Rossiter, P.

AU - Rutherford, G.

AU - Sazzad, A. B.M.R.

AU - Schnee, R. W.

AU - Schubnell, M.

AU - Scovell, P. R.

AU - Seymour, D.

AU - Shaw, S.

AU - Shutt, T. A.

AU - Silk, J. J.

AU - Silva, C.

AU - Solmaz, M.

AU - Solovov, V. N.

AU - Sorensen, P.

AU - Stancu, I.

AU - Stevens, A.

AU - Stiegler, T. M.

AU - Stifter, K.

AU - Szydagis, M.

AU - Taylor, W. C.

AU - Taylor, R.

AU - Temples, D.

AU - Terman, P. A.

AU - Tiedt, D. R.

AU - Timalsina, M.

AU - Tomás, A.

AU - Tripathi, M.

AU - Tvrznikova, L.

AU - Utku, U.

AU - Uvarov, S.

AU - Vacheret, A.

AU - Wang, J. J.

AU - Watson, J. R.

AU - Webb, R. C.

AU - White, R. G.

AU - Whitis, T. J.

AU - Wolfs, F. L.H.

AU - Woodward, D.

AU - Yin, J.

PY - 2020/3

Y1 - 2020/3

N2 - Deep underground environments are ideal for low background searches due to the attenuation of cosmic rays by passage through the earth. However, they are affected by backgrounds from γ-rays emitted by 40K and the 238U and 232Th decay chains in the surrounding rock. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a liquid xenon TPC located within the Davis campus at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, South Dakota, at the 4850-foot level. In order to characterise the cavern background, in-situ γ-ray measurements were taken with a sodium iodide detector in various locations and with lead shielding. The integral count rates (0–3300 keV) varied from 596 Hz to 1355 Hz for unshielded measurements, corresponding to a total flux from the cavern walls of 1.9 ± 0.4 γ cm−2s−1. The resulting activity in the walls of the cavern can be characterised as 220 ± 60 Bq/kg of 40K, 29 ± 15 Bq/kg of 238U, and 13 ± 3 Bq/kg of 232Th.

AB - Deep underground environments are ideal for low background searches due to the attenuation of cosmic rays by passage through the earth. However, they are affected by backgrounds from γ-rays emitted by 40K and the 238U and 232Th decay chains in the surrounding rock. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a liquid xenon TPC located within the Davis campus at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, South Dakota, at the 4850-foot level. In order to characterise the cavern background, in-situ γ-ray measurements were taken with a sodium iodide detector in various locations and with lead shielding. The integral count rates (0–3300 keV) varied from 596 Hz to 1355 Hz for unshielded measurements, corresponding to a total flux from the cavern walls of 1.9 ± 0.4 γ cm−2s−1. The resulting activity in the walls of the cavern can be characterised as 220 ± 60 Bq/kg of 40K, 29 ± 15 Bq/kg of 238U, and 13 ± 3 Bq/kg of 232Th.

KW - Dark matter

KW - Gamma rays

KW - Gamma spectroscopy

KW - Low background

KW - Radiation

KW - Underground

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85074200901

U2 - 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391

DO - 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.102391

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85074200901

SN - 0927-6505

VL - 116

JO - Astroparticle Physics

JF - Astroparticle Physics

M1 - 102391

ER -

Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

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Keywords

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