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arXiv · 2604.19616

Radon-induced backgrounds in the NEXT-100 experiment

NEXT Collaboration·C. Cortes-Parra·P. Novella·G. Martínez-Lema·H. Almazán·V. Álvarez·L. Arazi·I. J. Arnquist·F. Auria-Luna·S. Ayet·Y. Ayyad·C. D. R. Azevedo·F. Ballester·J. E. Barcelon·M. del Barrio-Torregrosa·J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez·F. I. G. M. Borges·A. Brodoline·N. Byrnes·A. Castillo·E. Church·M. Cid·X. Cid·C. A. N. Conde·F. P. Cossío·R. Coupe·E. Dey·P. Dietz·C. Echeverria·M. Elorza·R. Esteve·R. Felkai·L. M. P. Fernandes·P. Ferrario·P. Ferrero Mancheño·F. W. Foss·Z. Freixa·J. García-Barrena·J. J. Gómez-Cadenas·J. W. R. Grocott·R. Guenette·J. Hauptman·C. A. O. Henriques·J. A. Hernando Morata·P. Herrero-Gómez·V. Herrero·C. Hervés Carrete·Y. Ifergan·A. F. B. Isabel·B. J. P. Jones·F. Kellerer·L. Larizgoitia·A. Larumbe·P. Lebrun·F. Lopez·N. López-March·R. Madigan·R. D. P. Mano·A. Marauri·A. P. Marques·J. Martín-Albo·A. Martínez·M. Martínez-Vara·R. L. Miller·K. Mistry·J. Molina-Canteras·F. Monrabal·C. M. B. Monteiro·F. J. Mora·K. E. Navarro·D. R. Nygren·E. Oblak·I. Osborne·J. Palacio·B. Palmeiro·A. Para·I. Parmaksiz·A. Pazos·J. Pelegrin·M. Pérez Maneiro·M. Querol·J. Renner·I. Rivilla·C. Rogero·L. Rogers·B. Romeo·C. Romo-Luque·E. Ruiz-Chóliz·P. Saharia·F. P. Santos·J. M. F. dos Santos·M. Seemann·I. Shomroni·A. L. M. Silva·P. A. O. C. Silva·A. Simón·S. R. Soleti·M. Sorel·J. Soto-Oton·J. M. R. Teixeira
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Abstract

The NEXT-100 detector at the LSC aims at the first competitive search for the \bbnonu decay using a high-pressure \Xe{136} electroluminescent time projection chamber. The first low-background run of NEXT-100 at 3.95 bar has been devoted to the measurement of the radon-induced backgrounds impacting this search. The contributions from both the internal and external airborne radon have been evaluated. The internal \Rn{222} activity is found to be (0.95$\pm$0.04(stat)$\pm$0.09(sys)) Bq/m$^3$, while no traces of \Rn{220} have been observed. Most of the \Rn{222} progeny plate-out on the surface of the cathode of the detector, leading to a rate of Rn-induced \Bi{214} of (0.97$\pm$0.05(stat)$\pm$0.10(sys)) Hz for visible energies above 400 keV. The corresponding background index in the \bbnonu region of interest is evaluated as (7.3$\pm$1.5(stat)$\pm$0.8(sys))$\times10^{-4}$ counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr) after selection of the fully contained events. This background index is reduced to $\sim$4$\times10^{-5}$ counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr) by applying a topological selection requiring only one double-electron-like track in the events. This value is one order of magnitude below the total radiogenic background expectation in NEXT-100. By analyzing the correlation of the airborne radon activity and the measured rate of events in NEXT-100, it is concluded that the detector operates in a virtually radon-free environment thanks to the radon abatement system of the LSC.

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NEXT Collaboration, C. Cortes-Parra, P. Novella, G. Martínez-Lema, H. Almazán, V. Álvarez, L. Arazi, I. J. Arnquist, F. Auria-Luna, S. Ayet, Y. Ayyad, C. D. R. Azevedo, F. Ballester, J. E. Barcelon, M. del Barrio-Torregrosa, J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez, F. I. G. M. Borges, A. Brodoline, N. Byrnes, A. Castillo, E. Church, M. Cid, X. Cid, C. A. N. Conde, F. P. Cossío, R. Coupe, E. Dey, P. Dietz, C. Echeverria, M. Elorza, R. Esteve, R. Felkai, L. M. P. Fernandes, P. Ferrario, P. Ferrero Mancheño, F. W. Foss, Z. Freixa, J. García-Barrena, J. J. Gómez-Cadenas, J. W. R. Grocott, R. Guenette, J. Hauptman, C. A. O. Henriques, J. A. Hernando Morata, P. Herrero-Gómez, V. Herrero, C. Hervés Carrete, Y. Ifergan, A. F. B. Isabel, B. J. P. Jones, F. Kellerer, L. Larizgoitia, A. Larumbe, P. Lebrun, F. Lopez, N. López-March, R. Madigan, R. D. P. Mano, A. Marauri, A. P. Marques, J. Martín-Albo, A. Martínez, M. Martínez-Vara, R. L. Miller, K. Mistry, J. Molina-Canteras, F. Monrabal, C. M. B. Monteiro, F. J. Mora, K. E. Navarro, D. R. Nygren, E. Oblak, I. Osborne, J. Palacio, B. Palmeiro, A. Para, I. Parmaksiz, A. Pazos, J. Pelegrin, M. Pérez Maneiro, M. Querol, J. Renner, I. Rivilla, C. Rogero, L. Rogers, B. Romeo, C. Romo-Luque, E. Ruiz-Chóliz, P. Saharia, F. P. Santos, J. M. F. dos Santos, M. Seemann, I. Shomroni, A. L. M. Silva, P. A. O. C. Silva, A. Simón, S. R. Soleti, M. Sorel, J. Soto-Oton, J. M. R. Teixeira. 2026-04-21. Radon-induced backgrounds in the NEXT-100 experiment. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2026)082

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