Speaker
Prof.
Frank Calaprice
(Princeton)
Description
As neutrino and dark matter experiments push to higher sensitivity for detecting rare events, background from radon (Rn-222) and its progeny can present serious problems. In some cases, background decays from one or more of the progenies limit the ultimate sensitivity of the experiment. Radon is produced in the decay chain of U-238, present in the Earth's crust at ppm levels, and diffuses from its origin in rock into the environment. The radiation from radon progeny includes high energy gamma rays from Bi-214, and beta and alpha radioactivity from the final decay sequence, Pb-222(22y β) → Bi-210(β,γ) → Po-210(α) → Pb-206(stable). Radon’s mobility and its long-lived progeny make this a dangerous source of background. In this talk I will summarize recent studies of radon daughters, and the possible relevance of these studies for Borexino and other low-background experiments.
Primary author
Prof.
Frank Calaprice
(Princeton)
