Radiogenic neutron yield calculations for low-background experiments

Abstract

Nuclear recoil backgrounds are one of the most dangerous backgrounds for many dark matter experiments. A primary source of nuclear recoils is radiogenic neutrons produced in the detector material itself. These neutrons result from fission and (alpha,n) reactions originating from uranium and thorium contamination. In this paper, we discuss neutron yields from these sources. We compile a list of (alpha,n) yields for many materials common in low-background detectors, calculated using NeuCBOT (Neutron Calculator Based On TALYS), a new tool introduced in this paper, available at https://github.com/shawest/neucbot. These calculations are compared to computations made using data compilations and SOURCES-4C. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.