학술논문

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, Volume 769, 1 January 2015, pages 88-96
Subject
Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Nuclear Experiment
Language
Abstract
We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. An infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable's motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface.
Comment: Revised author affiliations, corrected typos, made minor improvements to text, and revised references