Cosmogenic Activation of Materials Used in Rare Event Search Experiments

Understand

We evaluate the cosmogenic production rates in some materials that are commonly used as targets and shielding/supporting components for detecting rare events.

• The results from Geant4 simulations are compared with the calculations of ACTIVIA and the available experimental data.
• We demonstrate that the production rates from the Geant4-based simulations agree with the available data reasonably well.
• As a result, we report that the cosmogenic production of several isotopes in various materials can generate potential backgrounds for direct detection of dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay.