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Geant4 Simulations for the Radon Electric Dipole Moment Search at

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a measurement cell. The RnEDM experiment will implant a beam of Rn ions (likely<br />

221 Rn or 223 Rn) into a thin foil loc<strong>at</strong>ed in <strong>the</strong> target chamber. The collected Rn<br />

<strong>at</strong>oms are <strong>the</strong>n transferred into <strong>the</strong> measurement cell via <strong>the</strong> transfer chamber using<br />

techniques discussed in <strong>the</strong> following section.<br />

2.2.1 Transferring Radioactive Noble Gas Isotopes<br />

Theprocessoftransferringradioactivenoblegasisotopeson-linetoameasurement<br />

cellhasbeenshowntobesuccessful <strong>at</strong>TRIUMF[26]. Aprototypenoblegascollection<br />

appar<strong>at</strong>us, shown inFigure2.2, wastestedwith 120 Xeasbeamsofradonisotopeswere<br />

not available <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> time of <strong>the</strong> tests. The 120 Xe isotope was chosen due its half-life of<br />

40 minutes, comparable to <strong>the</strong> roughly 25 minute half-lives of 221 Rn and 223 Rn. An<br />

initial beam of 120 Cs produced <strong>the</strong> 120 Xe isotopes through β decay; <strong>the</strong> decay chain<br />

is shown in Equ<strong>at</strong>ion 2.2. The beam was implanted in a thin zirconium foil <strong>for</strong> about<br />

two 120 Xe half-lives, after which <strong>the</strong> remaining 120 Cs <strong>at</strong>oms were given roughly 10<br />

minutes to decay into 120 Xe.<br />

120 Cs(64 s) → 120 Xe(40 m) → 120 I(81 m) → 120 Te(stable) . (2.2)<br />

Valve V1 was closed to separ<strong>at</strong>e <strong>the</strong> target chamber from <strong>the</strong> beam line. He<strong>at</strong>ing <strong>the</strong><br />

zirconium foil to about 1350 K released <strong>the</strong> xenon <strong>at</strong>oms into <strong>the</strong> target chamber volume.<br />

Opening<strong>the</strong>V2valveallowed<strong>the</strong>xenongastodiffuseinto<strong>the</strong>transferchamber,<br />

where <strong>the</strong> xenon <strong>at</strong>oms froze onto a pre-cooled coldfinger. After cryopumping, <strong>the</strong><br />

V2 valve was closed and V3 to <strong>the</strong> cell was opened while simultaneously warming <strong>the</strong><br />

coldfinger to release <strong>the</strong> xenon gas. Once <strong>the</strong> coldfinger was warmed, <strong>the</strong> V4 valve<br />

was opened which released a ballest volume of N 2 gas into <strong>the</strong> transfer chamber. The<br />

N 2 gas expanded and pushed <strong>the</strong> xenon gas into <strong>the</strong> measurement cell. The V3 valve<br />

15

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