Depleted argon from underground sources

H. O. Back; T. Alexander; A. Alton; C. Galbiati; A. Goretti; C. Kendziora; B. Loer; D. Montanari; P. Mosteiro; S. Pordes; H. Rogers

doi:10.1063/1.3579584

Depleted argon from underground sources

H. O. Back, T. Alexander, A. Alton, C. Galbiati, A. Goretti, C. Kendziora, B. Loer, D. Montanari, P. Mosteiro, S. Pordes, H. Rogers

Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Argon is a strong scintillator and an ideal target for Dark Matter detection; however ³⁹Ar contamination in atmospheric argon from cosmic ray interactions limits the size of liquid argon dark matter detectors due to pile-up. Argon from deep underground is depleted in ³⁹Ar due to the cosmic ray shielding of the earth. In Cortez, Colorado, a CO₂ well has been discovered to contain approximately 600ppm of argon as a contamination in the CO₂. We first concentrate the argon locally to 3% in an Ar, N₂, and He mixture, from the CO₂ through chromatographic gas separation, and then the N₂ and He will be removed by continuous distillation to purify the argon. We have collected 26 kg of argon from the CO₂ facility and a cryogenic distillation column is under construction at Fermilab to further purify the argon.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010
Pages	217-220
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3579584
State	Published - 2011
Event	Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010 - Sudbury, ON, Canada Duration: Aug 28 2010 → Aug 29 2010

Publication series

Name	AIP Conference Proceedings
Volume	1338
ISSN (Print)	0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)	1551-7616

Other

Other	Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Sudbury, ON
Period	8/28/10 → 8/29/10

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

Keywords

Argon
Cryogenic
Dark matter
Distillation
Scintillator
Time projection chamber

Access to Document

10.1063/1.3579584

Cite this

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title = "Depleted argon from underground sources",

abstract = "Argon is a strong scintillator and an ideal target for Dark Matter detection; however 39Ar contamination in atmospheric argon from cosmic ray interactions limits the size of liquid argon dark matter detectors due to pile-up. Argon from deep underground is depleted in 39Ar due to the cosmic ray shielding of the earth. In Cortez, Colorado, a CO2 well has been discovered to contain approximately 600ppm of argon as a contamination in the CO2. We first concentrate the argon locally to 3% in an Ar, N2, and He mixture, from the CO2 through chromatographic gas separation, and then the N2 and He will be removed by continuous distillation to purify the argon. We have collected 26 kg of argon from the CO2 facility and a cryogenic distillation column is under construction at Fermilab to further purify the argon.",

keywords = "Argon, Cryogenic, Dark matter, Distillation, Scintillator, Time projection chamber",

author = "Back, {H. O.} and T. Alexander and A. Alton and C. Galbiati and A. Goretti and C. Kendziora and B. Loer and D. Montanari and P. Mosteiro and S. Pordes and H. Rogers",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1063/1.3579584",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9780735408920",

series = "AIP Conference Proceedings",

pages = "217--220",

booktitle = "Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010",

note = "Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010 ; Conference date: 28-08-2010 Through 29-08-2010",

}

Back, HO, Alexander, T, Alton, A, Galbiati, C, Goretti, A, Kendziora, C, Loer, B, Montanari, D, Mosteiro, P, Pordes, S & Rogers, H 2011, Depleted argon from underground sources. in Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010. AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 1338, pp. 217-220, Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010, Sudbury, ON, Canada, 8/28/10. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3579584

TY - GEN

T1 - Depleted argon from underground sources

AU - Back, H. O.

AU - Alexander, T.

AU - Alton, A.

AU - Galbiati, C.

AU - Goretti, A.

AU - Kendziora, C.

AU - Loer, B.

AU - Montanari, D.

AU - Mosteiro, P.

AU - Pordes, S.

AU - Rogers, H.

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Argon is a strong scintillator and an ideal target for Dark Matter detection; however 39Ar contamination in atmospheric argon from cosmic ray interactions limits the size of liquid argon dark matter detectors due to pile-up. Argon from deep underground is depleted in 39Ar due to the cosmic ray shielding of the earth. In Cortez, Colorado, a CO2 well has been discovered to contain approximately 600ppm of argon as a contamination in the CO2. We first concentrate the argon locally to 3% in an Ar, N2, and He mixture, from the CO2 through chromatographic gas separation, and then the N2 and He will be removed by continuous distillation to purify the argon. We have collected 26 kg of argon from the CO2 facility and a cryogenic distillation column is under construction at Fermilab to further purify the argon.

AB - Argon is a strong scintillator and an ideal target for Dark Matter detection; however 39Ar contamination in atmospheric argon from cosmic ray interactions limits the size of liquid argon dark matter detectors due to pile-up. Argon from deep underground is depleted in 39Ar due to the cosmic ray shielding of the earth. In Cortez, Colorado, a CO2 well has been discovered to contain approximately 600ppm of argon as a contamination in the CO2. We first concentrate the argon locally to 3% in an Ar, N2, and He mixture, from the CO2 through chromatographic gas separation, and then the N2 and He will be removed by continuous distillation to purify the argon. We have collected 26 kg of argon from the CO2 facility and a cryogenic distillation column is under construction at Fermilab to further purify the argon.

KW - Argon

KW - Cryogenic

KW - Dark matter

KW - Distillation

KW - Scintillator

KW - Time projection chamber

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T3 - AIP Conference Proceedings

SP - 217

EP - 220

BT - Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010

T2 - Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques, LRT 2010

Y2 - 28 August 2010 through 29 August 2010

ER -

Depleted argon from underground sources

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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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