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arXiv · 1605.01283

Barometric pumping effect for radon-due neutron flux in underground laboratories

Yu. V. Stenkin·V. V. Alekseenko·D. M. Gromushkin·O. B. Shchegolev·V. P. Sulakov
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Abstract

It is known that neutron background is a big problem for low-background experiments in underground Laboratories. Our global net of en-detectors sensitive to thermal neutrons includes the detectors running both on the surface and at different depths underground. We present here results obtained with the en-detector of 0.75 m^2 which is running more than 3 years in underground room at a depth of 25 m of water equivalent in Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow. Spontaneous increases in thermal neutron flux up to a factor of 3 were observed in delayed anti-correlation with barometric pressure. The phenomenon can be explained by a radon barometric pumping effect resulting in similar effect in neutron flux produced in (alpha,n)-reactions by alpha-decays of radon and its daughters in surrounding rock

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Yu. V. Stenkin, V. V. Alekseenko, D. M. Gromushkin, O. B. Shchegolev, V. P. Sulakov. 2016-05-04. Barometric pumping effect for radon-due neutron flux in underground laboratories. https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.01283

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