Skip to main content
. 2022 Jul 8;82(7):599. doi: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10345-6

Table 2.

Measured activities of radioactive isotopes in the selected cryostat and TPC materials for XENONnT as well as the cleaning agents used during assembly. Measured values are given with ±1σ uncertainties, and upper limits are set at 95% C.L. The facility, sample mass, and lifetime are provided for each measurement (as applicable). Samples 18–20 are the averaged results from measurements of different sets of 10-15 PMTs fitting into the germanium spectrometer at once

Sample Component Manufacturer Facility Mass [kg] Livetime [d] Units 238U 235U 226Ra 228Ra (232Th) 228Th 40K 60Co 137Cs
Stainless Steel (304)
  0 Bell/Vessel Nironit GeMPI 7.8 11.7 mBq/kg 13(7) 0.7(3) 0.3(1) 0.6(2) 0.5(1) 1.6(6) 2.4(2) <0.2
  0 Bell/Vessel Nironit ICP-MS mBq/kg 3.7(6) 0.10(8)
  1 Bell/Vessel Nironit GeMPI 7.8 57.1 mBq/kg 4(2) 0.2(1) 1.3(1) 0.9(1) 0.57(6) 1.4(2) 0.61(5) 0.03(2)
  1 Bell/Vessel Nironit ICP-MS mBq/kg 8.6(4) <8.1
  2 Bell/Vessel/Electrodes Nironit GeMPI 8.4 27.5 mBq/kg <11 <0.6 0.6(1) 0.4(1) 0.4(1) <2.4 0.4(1) <0.2
  2 Bell/Vessel/Electrodes Nironit ICP-MS mBq/kg 2.5(3) 0.4(2)
  3 Welding Rods (Vessel) Nironit GeMPI 2.6 30.6 mBq/kg <5.7 <0.3 3.1(3) 2.9(4) 11.4(7) 7(1) 1.6(2) <0.3
Oxygen-free high-conductivity copper
4 Field Shaping Rings Luvata Gator 71.7 32.5 mBq/kg <0.33 <0.02 <0.18 <0.22 0.18(5) 0.45(14) 0.03(1) <0.05
  4 Field Shaping Rings Luvata ICP-MS mBq/kg 0.03(1) 0.010(4)
  5 Guard Rings Niemet GeMPI 56.5 42.1 mBq/kg <1.6 <0.14 0.13(3) <0.06 <0.04 0.6(2) 0.05(1) <0.03
  6 Wires - GeMSE 12 mBq/kg <2.3 <0.1 <0.06 <0.04 0.55(2) 0.43(3) <0.04
  7 Array Support Plate Niemet GeMSE 93.4 35.6 mBq/kg <1.06 <0.21 <0.08 <0.01 <0.42 0.08(1) <0.011
  7 Array Support Plate Niemet ICP-MS mBq/kg 0.0014(4) 0.004(1)
  8 Array Support Pillar Luvata GeMPI 57.3 26.2 mBq/kg <2.7 <0.23 <0.06 <0.08 <0.04 <0.27 0.10(2) <0.05
Plastics
  9 PTFE Reflectors Amsler and Frey GeMPI 15.4 25.0 mBq/kg <2.4 <0.08 <0.03 0.11(4) <0.09 8(1) <0.07
  9 PTFE Reflectors Amsler and Frey ICP-MS mBq/kg <0.06 0.05(2)
  10 PTFE Reflectors Amsler and Frey GeMPI 25.0 19.7 mBq/kg <1.0 <0.07 0.15(3) <0.1 <0.08 0.08(3) <0.05
  10 PTFE Reflectors Amsler and Frey ICP-MS mBq/kg 0.15(7) 0.03(2)
  11 PTFE Pillars Amsler and Frey GeMPI 15.1 45.0 mBq/kg <0.8 <0.05 0.04(1) <0.06 <0.04 <0.42 <0.01
  11 PTFE Pillars Amsler and Frey ICP-MS mBq/kg 0.26(9) 0.10(2)
  12 PTFE PMT Holders Amsler and Frey GeMSE 18.2 19.9 mBq/kg <1.9 <0.1 <0.08 <0.04 <1.0 <0.05 <0.03
  13 PTFE PMT Holders Amsler and Frey ICP-MS mBq/kg <0.1 <0.04
  14 Torlon Reflectors Drake Plastics ICP-MS mBq/kg 1.8(5) 0.2(1)
  15 Torlon Reflectors Drake Plastics ICP-MS mBq/kg 2.2(6) 0.4(1)
  16 PEEK Array Spacers Spalinger ICP-MS mBq/kg 0.4(1) 0.12(3)
  17 PEEK Screws Solidspot GeMPI 0.27 23.1 mBq/kg <20 <1.4 10(1) 7(1) 6(1) 30(10) <0.8
Photosensors and components
  18 R11410 PMTs (average 180 PMTs) Hamamatsu Gator mBq/PMT 9(2) 0.4(1) 0.47(2) 0.47(7) 0.46(2) 14.2(5) 1.05(3) <0.14
  19 R11410 PMTs (average 60 PMTs) Hamamatsu GeMPI mBq/PMT 14(7) 0.5(1) 0.52(4) 0.6(1) 0.45(5) 18.6(9) 1.27(6) <0.13
  20 R11410 PMTs (average 99 PMTs) Hamamatsu GeMSE mBq/PMT 6.5(3) 0.32(4) 0.33(5) 0.19(1) 11.1(4) 0.71(3) <0.06
  21 Ceramic Stem Hamamatsu GeMPI 1.5 20.7 mBq/kg 2.7(5) 0.13(2) 0.29(2) 0.17(2) 0.12(1) 2.7(3) <0.003 <0.009
  22 Ceramic Stem Hamamatsu GeMPI 1.6 22.8 mBq/kg 3.4(5) 0.12(2) 0.22(1) 0.20(2) 0.07(1) 0.13(2) <0.002 <0.01
  23 Bases/components Fralock/various GeMSE 1.9 7.0 mBq/piece 1.5(1) 0.7(3) 0.14(1) 0.053(3) 0.29(5) <0.003 <0.002
  24 HV Connectors/PTFE/Copper Accu-Glass/custom GeMSE 1.0 27.5 μBq/piece <310 <37 <42 <14 140(90) 50(10) <3.3
  25 Coaxial Cables Huber and Suhner GeMPI 1.5 22.6 mBq/kg <74 <1.4 2.4(5) <1.5 1.4(5) 40(8) <0.2 <0.6
  26 Kapton Cables Accu-glass GeMPI 0.1 29.3 mBq/kg <56 <11 8(2) <9.0 <3.4 110(30) <3.3 <4.2
  27 Optical Fiber Ratioplast ICP-MS mBq/kg 7(3) 7(2) 340(90)
Miscellaneous
  28 M5 Screws (Ag), TPC U-C Components GeMPI 0.5 27.6 mBq/kg <43 <1.4 <1.1 3(1) 3.3(6) 12(3) 53(4) <0.6
  29 M6 Screws (Ag), TPC U-C Components GeMPI 1.0 23.9 mBq/kg <15 <3.4 <1.6 <3.0 2.7(7) 18(5) 6.7(7) <0.9
  30 M8 Screws (Ag), TPC U-C Components GeMPI 0.9 22.8 mBq/kg 50(20) <2.1 2.0(5) 3.4(8) 3.9(6) 13(3) 52(4) <0.8
  31 M8 Screws (Ag), Bell ALCA GeMPI 1.2 21.6 mBq/kg <29 <0.8 0.8(3) 2.0(5) 7.6(6) 5(2) 4.9(4) <0.3
  32 SMD Resistors OHMITE GeDSG 0.01 6.9 μBq/piece 110(50) 2.3(5) 29(2) 13(2) 15(1) 60(10) <1.1 <0.6
Cleaning solutions
  33 HARO Clean 100 HAROSOL Corrado 1.0 9.8 mBq/kg <710 <20 11(6) <18 <21 4600(300) <8 <7
  34 HARO Clean 188 HAROSOL Corrado 1.5 6.0 mBq/kg <24400 <35 520(310) <18 5.8(4)×106 <175 <133
  35 HARO Clean 106 HAROSOL Corrado 0.6 3.1 mBq/kg 2.1(1)×103 <20 <77 <16 750(160) <9 <15
  36 P3-Almeco 36 Henkel Bruno 0.1 3.9 mBq/kg 14(3)×103 790(160) 98(27) <91 <113 15(2)×103 <19 <21
  37 Tickopur R33 Dr. H. Stamm Giove 1.0 5.0 mBq/kg <7400 36(13) <429 <11 1.55(9)×106 <49 <65
  38 Elma clean 65 Elma Giove 1.0 7.1 mBq/kg 430(200) 6(3) <12 <8 1190(90) <1.6 <4
  39 Elma clean 70 Elma Giove 1.1 2.7 mBq/kg <17100 53(18) <340 19(9) 1.45(9)×106 <65 <156
  40 HNO3 (69%) Roth Corrado 0.5 5.1 mBq/kg <970 <19 <22 <27 <80 <4 <7