A high-sensitivity radon emanation detector system for future low-background experiments

Abstract

Radioactive radon atoms originating from the primordial 238U and 232Th decay chains are constantly emanated from the surfaces of most materials. The radon atoms and their radioactive daughter isotopes can significantly contribute to the background of low-background experiments. The 222Rn progeny 214Pb, for example, dominates the background of current liquid xenon-based direct dark matter detectors. We report on a new detector system to quantify the 222Rn surface emanation rate of materials. Using cryogenic physisorption traps, emanated radon atoms are transferred from an independent emanation vessel and concentrated within the dedicated detection vessel. The charged radon daughter isotopes are collected electrostatically on a silicon PIN photodiode to spectrometrically measure the alpha decays of 214Po and 218Po. The overall detection efficiency is ∼ 36 % for both polonium channels. The radon emanation activity of the emanation vessel was measured to be (0.16± 0.03) mBq, resulting in a detection sensitivity of ∼ 0.06 mBq at 90 % C.L.