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arXiv · 2203.10147

Observation of Radon Mitigation in MicroBooNE by a Liquid Argon Filtration System

MicroBooNE collaboration·P. Abratenko·J. Anthony·L. Arellano·J. Asaadi·A. Ashkenazi·S. Balasubramanian·B. Baller·C. Barnes·G. Barr·J. Barrow·V. Basque·L. Bathe-Peters·O. Benevides Rodrigues·S. Berkman·A. Bhanderi·A. Bhat·M. Bhattacharya·M. Bishai·A. Blake·T. Bolton·J. Y. Book·L. Camilleri·D. Caratelli·I. Caro Terrazas·F. Cavanna·G. Cerati·Y. Chen·D. Cianci·J. M. Conrad·M. Convery·L. Cooper-Troendle·J. I. Crespo-Anadon·M. Del Tutto·S. R. Dennis·P. Detje·A. Devitt·R. Diurba·R. Dorrill·K. Duffy·S. Dytman·B. Eberly·A. Ereditato·J. J. Evans·R. Fine·G. A. Fiorentini Aguirre·R. S. Fitzpatrick·B. T. Fleming·N. Foppiani·D. Franco·A. P. Furmanski·D. Garcia-Gamez·S. Gardiner·G. Ge·S. Gollapinni·O. Goodwin·E. Gramellini·P. Green·H. Greenlee·W. Gu·R. Guenette·P. Guzowski·L. Hagaman·O. Hen·C. Hilgenberg·G. A. Horton-Smith·A. Hourlier·R. Itay·C. James·X. Ji·L. Jiang·J. H. Jo·C. Joe·R. A. Johnson·Y. J. Jwa·D. Kalra·N. Kamp·N. Kaneshige·G. Karagiorgi·W. Ketchum·M. Kirby·T. Kobilarcik·I. Kreslo·I. Lepetic·J. -Y. Li·K. Li·Y. Li·K. Lin·B. R. Littlejohn·W. C. Louis·X. Luo·K. Manivannan·C. Mariani·D. Marsden·J. Marshall·D. A. Martinez Caicedo·K. Mason·A. Mastbaum·N. McConkey·V. Meddage
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Abstract

The MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) maintains a high level of liquid argon purity through the use of a filtration system that removes electronegative contaminants in continuously-circulated liquid, recondensed boil off, and externally supplied argon gas. We use the MicroBooNE LArTPC to reconstruct MeV-scale radiological decays. Using this technique we measure the liquid argon filtration system's efficacy at removing radon. This is studied by placing a 500 kBq $^{222}$Rn source upstream of the filters and searching for a time-dependent increase in the number of radiological decays in the LArTPC. In the context of two models for radon mitigation via a liquid argon filtration system, a slowing mechanism and a trapping mechanism, MicroBooNE data supports a radon reduction factor of greater than 99.999% or 97%, respectively. Furthermore, a radiological survey of the filters found that the copper-based filter material was the primary medium that removed the $^{222}$Rn. This is the first observation of radon mitigation in liquid argon with a large-scale copper-based filter and could offer a radon mitigation solution for future large LArTPCs.

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MicroBooNE collaboration, P. Abratenko, J. Anthony, L. Arellano, J. Asaadi, A. Ashkenazi, S. Balasubramanian, B. Baller, C. Barnes, G. Barr, J. Barrow, V. Basque, L. Bathe-Peters, O. Benevides Rodrigues, S. Berkman, A. Bhanderi, A. Bhat, M. Bhattacharya, M. Bishai, A. Blake, T. Bolton, J. Y. Book, L. Camilleri, D. Caratelli, I. Caro Terrazas, F. Cavanna, G. Cerati, Y. Chen, D. Cianci, J. M. Conrad, M. Convery, L. Cooper-Troendle, J. I. Crespo-Anadon, M. Del Tutto, S. R. Dennis, P. Detje, A. Devitt, R. Diurba, R. Dorrill, K. Duffy, S. Dytman, B. Eberly, A. Ereditato, J. J. Evans, R. Fine, G. A. Fiorentini Aguirre, R. S. Fitzpatrick, B. T. Fleming, N. Foppiani, D. Franco, A. P. Furmanski, D. Garcia-Gamez, S. Gardiner, G. Ge, S. Gollapinni, O. Goodwin, E. Gramellini, P. Green, H. Greenlee, W. Gu, R. Guenette, P. Guzowski, L. Hagaman, O. Hen, C. Hilgenberg, G. A. Horton-Smith, A. Hourlier, R. Itay, C. James, X. Ji, L. Jiang, J. H. Jo, C. Joe, R. A. Johnson, Y. J. Jwa, D. Kalra, N. Kamp, N. Kaneshige, G. Karagiorgi, W. Ketchum, M. Kirby, T. Kobilarcik, I. Kreslo, I. Lepetic, J. -Y. Li, K. Li, Y. Li, K. Lin, B. R. Littlejohn, W. C. Louis, X. Luo, K. Manivannan, C. Mariani, D. Marsden, J. Marshall, D. A. Martinez Caicedo, K. Mason, A. Mastbaum, N. McConkey, V. Meddage. 2022-03-18. Observation of Radon Mitigation in MicroBooNE by a Liquid Argon Filtration System. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221%2F17%2F11%2Fp11022

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