A new shallow underground gas-proportional counting lab--first results and Ar-37 sensitivity

C E Aalseth; A R Day; E S Fuller; E W Hoppe; M E Keillor; B Leferriere; E K Mace; J Merriman; A W Myers; C T Overman; M E Panisko; A Seifert; G A Warren; R M Williams

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.050

A new shallow underground gas-proportional counting lab--first results and Ar-37 sensitivity

Appl Radiat Isot. 2013 Nov:81:151-5. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.050. Epub 2013 Mar 22.

Authors

C E Aalseth¹, A R Day, E S Fuller, E W Hoppe, M E Keillor, B Leferriere, E K Mace, J Merriman, A W Myers, C T Overman, M E Panisko, A Seifert, G A Warren, R M Williams

Affiliation

¹ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, P.O. Box 999, MSIN J4-65, Richland, WA 99352, USA. craig.aalseth@pnnl.gov

PMID: 23623763
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.050

Abstract

A new ultra-low-background proportional counter was recently developed with an internal volume of 100 cm(3) and has been characterized at pressures from 1-10 atm with P-10 (90% Ar, 10% methane) gas. This design, along with a counting system providing event digitization and passive and active shielding, has been developed to complement a new shallow underground laboratory (30 m water-equivalent). Backgrounds and low-level reference materials have been measured, and system sensitivity for (37)Ar has been calculated.

Keywords: Argon-37; Beta spectroscopy; Proportional counter; Shallow underground.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Argon / analysis*
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Gases / analysis*
Laboratories*
Radiation Dosage
Radioisotopes / analysis*
Reproducibility of Results
Scintillation Counting / instrumentation*
Sensitivity and Specificity
United States

Substances

Gases
Radioisotopes
Argon