Gamma-ray flux measurement and geotechnical studies at the selected site for the LABChico underground laboratory
Por:
Aguilar-Arevalo, A., Bertou, X., Canet, C., Cruz, M. A., Deisting, A., Dias, A., D'Olivo, J. C., Favela-Perez, F., Garces, E. A., Garcia, E. Gonzalez, Muñoz A.G., Guerra-Pulido, J. O., Mancera-Alejandrez, J., Marin-Lambarri, D. J., Mendoza A.M.M., Montero M.M., Monroe, J., Paling, S., Peeters, S., Scovell, P. R., Turkoglu, C., Castillo I.G.V., Vazquez-Jauregui, E., Walding, J.
Publicada:
8 feb 2022
Resumen:
The gamma-ray flux inside La Quaalude mine, the selected site for the
construction of the underground laboratory LABChico in Mexico, is
reported for energies below 3 MeV. Data were recorded with a 0.669 kg
thallium-activated sodium iodide (NaI) crystal detector deployed for 3.6
hr. The detector response was calculated via Monte Carlo simulations
with GEANT4 and validated against point-like calibration sources, and
the gamma-ray spectrum was extracted using an unfolding technique. The
gamma-ray flux above 250 keV and below 3 MeV is 0.1768 gamma/cm(2)/s.
The two most intense gamma-rays in the natural radioactive background,
K-40 and (TI)-T-208, were identified. The flux measured for these
isotopes is 0.0363 +/- 0.0020 gamma/cm(2)/s and 0.0016 +/- 0.0005
gamma/cm(2)/s, respectively. A gamma-ray spectrometry analysis of rock
samples showed 674.0 +/- 2.0 Bq/kg, 24.0 +/- 0.1 Bq/kg, and 17.7 +/- 0.2
Bq/kg, of K-40, Th-232, and U-238, respectively. These results are
compared with deep underground facilities such as SURF, SNOLAB, Boulby,
Modane, and Gran Sasso, with differences observed mainly due to the rock
composition. Geotechnical studies of the mine and its rock composition
are also reported.
Filiaciones:
Aguilar-Arevalo, A.:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ciencias Nucl, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Bertou, X.:
Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA/CONICET/IB, Bariloche, Argentina
Ctr Atom Bariloche, CNEA, IB, CONICET, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
Canet, C.:
Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Ciencias La Atmosfera, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Cruz, M. A.:
Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Ciencias La Atmosfera, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Deisting, A.:
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, United Kingdom
Univ London, Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, London, England
Dias, A.:
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, United Kingdom
Univ London, Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, London, England
D'Olivo, J. C.:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ciencias Nucl, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Favela-Perez, F.:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA/CONICET/IB, Bariloche, Argentina
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ciencias Nucl, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Ctr Atom Bariloche, CNEA, IB, CONICET, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
Garces, E. A.:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Departamento de Física, FES-Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, C.P. 54770, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Fis, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Fis, FES Cuautitlan, Mexico City 54770, DF, Mexico
Garcia, E. Gonzalez:
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ingn, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Muñoz A.G.:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Guerra-Pulido, J. O.:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Ciencias Nucl, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Mancera-Alejandrez, J.:
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ingn, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Marin-Lambarri, D. J.:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Fis, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Mendoza A.M.M.:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Montero M.M.:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Monroe, J.:
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, United Kingdom
Univ London, Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, London, England
Paling, S.:
Boulby Underground Laboratory, Boulby Mine, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, United Kingdom
Boulby Underground Lab, Saltburn By The Sea, England
Peeters, S.:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
Univ Sussex, Dept Phys & Astron, Brighton, E Sussex, England
Scovell, P. R.:
Boulby Underground Laboratory, Boulby Mine, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, United Kingdom
Boulby Underground Lab, Saltburn By The Sea, England
Turkoglu, C.:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
Univ Sussex, Dept Phys & Astron, Brighton, E Sussex, England
Castillo I.G.V.:
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Vazquez-Jauregui, E.:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Fis, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
Walding, J.:
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, United Kingdom
Univ London, Royal Holloway, Egham Hill, London, England
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