Neutron- and muon-induced background in underground physics experiments

Understand

Background induced by neutrons in deep underground laboratories is a critical issue for all experiments looking for rare events, such as dark matter interactions or neutrinoless 2-beta decay.

• Neutrons can be produced either by natural radioactivity, via spontaneous fission or (alpha,n) reactions, or by interactions initiated by high-energy cosmic rays.
• In all underground experiments, Monte Carlo simulations of neutron background play a crucial role for the evaluation of the total background rate and for the optimization of rejection strategies.
• The Monte Carlo methods that are commonly employed to evaluate neutron-induced background and to optimize the experimental setup, are reviewed and discussed.