Low Background Counting Facility at Henderson DUSEL
Lots of resources already exist, e.g.
1. Homestake NUSL Reference Design Report
WBS 6.1 (Low-level counting facility)
2. NUSL White Paper (Nico, Piepke, Shutt)
Lots of experience with ultra-sensitive low-level experiments, e.g.
Borexino and the Counting Test Facility (Gran Sasso)
SNO experiment
BUT not much experience in low background user facilities
Funding agencies and Historical Precedent lead to each
experiment providing its own screening and purity methods
Europe is ahead in organization (ILIAS)
And in sites/experiments which are lending out their “old” facilities
Any DUSEL installation of a full-fledged LBC Facility consists of
A Suite of Devices with varying degrees of cleanliness + sensitivity
Ultra-low bkgd: Emphasize sensitivity
At least one state-of-the-art “whole body” facility 10-13-10-15 g/g 238U/232Th
multiple ports and flexible staging
Leaching/emanation lab 10-12 g/g
Space for the next generation 10-16 – 10-17 g/g
Novel techniques e.g. HPGe in LN (a la GERDA) 10-12 g/g ?
Traditional low-bkgd counting techniques Emphasize throughput.
HPGe with low bkgd shielding and cryostats 10-9 g/g
extending to 10-12 g/g with NAA
Tracking MWPCs for surface beta, alpha
Proportional counters for single atom counting of gas samples
Pre-screeners
NaI, less sensitive HPGe, Radon monitors,
PLUS
Any DUSEL installation of a full-fledged LBC Facility consists of
Plus the infra-structure to support them
Dedicated staff + offices for analysis
Sample preparation
Underground prep and storage
Surface prep and chem lab (including radiochem for NAA)
Clean rooms & Radon mitigation & Clean Machining & Washing Station
Underground fabrication & utilities
Electroformed copper for cryostats and shielding
Detector assembly
Provide Radon-free air, N2, and LN
Ultra-pure water, ultra-pure liquid scintillator
Optional Extensions include
Secure Lab for sensitive (of a different sort!) applications
Shielded Prototyping space
Figure E-16 from the Homestake Reference Design
NAA Laboratory + general environmental sample handling
Secure lab
Emanation
and leaching
laboratory
(TBA) Pool 2
Gd-loaded liq. Scint
for neutron sensitivity
or
Mini-Borexino for U/Th
down to 10-16 g/g
Pool 1
12 m cube – ultra-pure water
Built-in liq. Scint acrylic thimble ports
read out by PMT’s
for U/Th down to 10-14 g/g
CTF can lead the way to
the next generation
ultra-sensitive whole
body assay technique
Matthias Laubenstein (Borexino)
Talk at Synergies Workshop
Nonetheless, Henderson needs to make some choices
Actual Layout:
SnoLab model or Nested clean areas or Simple Tree
Multiple screening depths? Or staged downward trend?
Accessibility
Outreach and Tourists
National Security
Quality of Life for shift-takers
Degree of Centralization
Model 1: Complementarity with existing sites
Exploit Deep Site characteristics
Model 2: Include all possible facilities
Exploit economy of scale
Degree of Availability
Provide screening and assay to the general public?
Only to DUSEL participants?
Only to the experiment that “owns” the equipment?
DUSEL LBCF does not have to re-invent the wheel
Existing counting facilities in the US
Best technique may not be “counting”
ICPMS, AMS ($$)
RBS, PIXE, Auger, SIMS
Analysis centers at most Universities
User fees – cheaper for University faculty
Commercial Labs
Longer turn around, more expensive, more standardized
“Use for Others” at most national labs (Oak Ridge, LANL, BNL)
A few shallow  middle depth sites open for users
LBL Bldg72 and Oroville Dam – now
LOMO at PNNL - soon
Underground screening sites in development stage, with some capacity now
WIPP: SEGA running, MEGA/EXO installing
Infrastructure thru LANL.
Soudan: MINOS/CDMS running
g -screening capability in SOLO
Protyping facility with active muon veto shield
Kimballton: LENS experiment slated for here
Ties to NRL. Possible Nat’l Security niche
What needs to be done NOW?
The DUSEL sites have a vested interest in this
so…
How does HUSEP become involved?
• Screening for existing experiments (and security-related appl.)
• Underground testing of prototypes for DUSEL technology choices
• Screening for the proposed experiments
• Development of new, high purity materials
• R&D now for a future DUSEL LBCF
Existing Underground Infrastructure should be Utilized in an Organized Way
Soudan
Open for use:
40’ x 30’ x 100’
surrounded by active
muon veto shield.
Office space and
infrastructure exists
WIPP
Solution
Propose NOW a multi-site LBCF with proper integration and enough
throughput to deal with mounting screening and purity issues
Part of this is just building the community and consensus
It has already started with
Meetings
DUSEL Solicitation 1
LRT
1st Topical Workshop: Sudbury, Canada. December 2004
2nd Topical Workshop: September 30 - October 3, 2006 - Aussois, FRANCE
Synergies Workshop: Minneapolis, MN. July 2005
Collaboration
European: ILIAS already exists.
North American: Integration Website (input from Synergies Workshop)
Integrative Website
Working toward a cooperative approach to sensitive
radiation techniques and low background counting
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Soudan
Underground
Mine
Soudan Low Background Counting Facility has an active muon veto shield
covering an area of 35ft x 40th x 100ft.
Kimballton
The Kimballton site is located less than 30 minutes from Virginia Tech
Sudbury
Neutrino
Observatory
SNO provides 6010 Meters Water Equivalent(MWE) of shielding from cosmic
rays and offers a uniquely low
background environment for the next generation of experiments exploring the
frontiers of particle physics and astrophysics.
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PNNL
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Monumental Dam
Schedule a Sample
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What's Available?
•HPGe
•Alpha counting
•Beta counting
Member Profile for prisca@physics.umn.edu
Current Contact Information for Professor of Physics Priscilla Cushman:
FirstName = Priscilla
LastName = Cushman
email = prisca@physics.umn.edu
Title = Professor of Physics
Affiliation = University of Minnesota
Webpage = www.hep.umn.edu/~prisca
Address = School of Physics and Astronomy
Address2 = 116 Church St SE
City = Minneapolis
Province/State = MN
Country = USA
Phone = 612-626-8917
Fax = 612-624-4578
ResearchField = HEP
ResearchTechniques = HPGe, beta screening, surface techniques
ResearchProjects = CDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search)
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