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

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/232Thmultiple ports and flexible staging

Leaching/emanation lab 10-12 g/g Space for the next generation 10-16 – 10-17 g/gNovel 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/gextending 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,

Any DUSEL installation of a full-fledged LBC Facility consists of

PLUS

Plus the infra-structure to support them

Dedicated staff + offices for analysis

Sample preparationUnderground prep and storageSurface prep and chem lab (including radiochem for NAA)

Clean rooms & Radon mitigation & Clean Machining & Washing Station

Underground fabrication & utilitiesElectroformed copper for cryostats and shieldingDetector assemblyProvide Radon-free air, N2, and LNUltra-pure water, ultra-pure liquid scintillator

Optional Extensions include

Secure Lab for sensitive (of a different sort!) applications

Shielded Prototyping space

Any DUSEL installation of a full-fledged LBC Facility consists of

Figure E-16 from the Homestake Reference Design

Secure lab

Emanation and leachinglaboratory

(TBA) Pool 2Gd-loaded liq. Scint

for neutron sensitivity or

Mini-Borexino for U/Th down to 10-16 g/g

Pool 112 m cube – ultra-pure water

NAA Laboratory + general environmental sample handling

Built-in liq. Scint acrylic thimble ports read out by PMT’s

for U/Th down to 10-14 g/g

Matthias Laubenstein (Borexino)Talk at Synergies Workshop

CTF can lead the way to the next generation ultra-sensitive whole body assay technique

Nonetheless, Henderson needs to make some choices

Actual Layout:

SnoLab model or Nested clean areas or Simple TreeMultiple screening depths? Or staged downward trend?

Accessibility

Outreach and TouristsNational SecurityQuality of Life for shift-takers

Degree of Centralization

Model 1: Complementarity with existing sites Exploit Deep Site characteristics

Model 2: Include all possible facilitiesExploit 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 wheelExisting 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 LabsLonger 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 usersLBL Bldg72 and Oroville Dam – nowLOMO at PNNL - soon

Underground screening sites in development stage, with some capacity nowWIPP: SEGA running, MEGA/EXO installing

Infrastructure thru LANL.

Soudan: MINOS/CDMS running -screening capability in SOLO Protyping facility with active muon veto shield

Kimballton: LENS experiment slated for hereTies to NRL. Possible Nat’l Security niche

• 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

What needs to be done NOW? The DUSEL sites have a vested interest in this

so… How does HUSEP become involved?

Open for use:40’ x 30’ x 100’ surrounded by active muon veto shield.

Office space and infrastructure exists

Existing Underground Infrastructure should be Utilized in an Organized Way

WIPPSoudan

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

Collaboration

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

European: ILIAS already exists.

North American: Integration Website (input from Synergies Workshop)

Integrative WebsiteWorking toward a cooperative approach to sensitive radiation techniques and low background counting

Want your research listed?

Click Here to Register!

PURPOSE

1. Institutions with at least some capacity to serve users will be featured, along with the detectors, sensitivities and support facilities available. This should bring some order to the diverse array of solutions and provide users with means to schedule their research needs.

2. Diverse research fields will be able to learn from each other and create collaborations based on low radioactivity techniques they may have in common by exploring this site. Links to the workshop talks will be a first step since the talks will be given by representatives of the various disciplines, surveying the ways in which they currently use these techniques and how they might benefit from improved sensitivity in the future.

To participate in the creation of this community, first register as a member (see bottom left sidebar). You will be sent a member id number which you can use to add resource links, edit your contact information and add functionality to this website. Once you have your id, login by clicking on the "Add to Website" link on the sidebar to the left.

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Research Portals

Anthropology human civilizations, forensic studies, cultural history, isotope dating

Archaeology human ancestry, evolutionary studies, fossils, isotope dating

Astrobiology life in extreme environments

Astroparticle and Nuclear Physics

double beta decay, dark matter searches, solar neutrinos, neutrino beams, low background screening, ultrapure materials

Bioremediation environmental cleanup, radiation monitoring

Environmental Geochemistry

Planetary and Space Science

planetary geology, solar system, aurora, solar wind, meteorite studies

Geomicrobiology

Hydrology history and mapping of water systems

Industrial Applications sediment dating, watershed characterization

Limnology ocean currents, fish populations

Public Health environmental monitoring, radon detection, water testing, EPA

Transuranic Chemistry

Underground Sites

Shielded Surface Sites

Schedule a Sample•To schedule a sample, check the available detectors and click here to submit your request.

What's Available?•HPGe •Alpha counting •Beta counting

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant(WIPP)

WIPP offers its mine operations infrastructure and space in the underground to researchers requiring a deep underground setting with dry conditions and very low levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials.

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.

LBL Berkeley Lab: Shielded surface facility and Oroville Dam

PNNLPacific Northwest National Lab: Shielded surface and Lower Monumental Dam

North American Research Facilities

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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)

Member Profile for prisca@physics.umn.edu

Current Contact Information for Professor of Physics Priscilla Cushman: