Long-lived alpha and beta emitters in the 222Rn decay chain on (and
near) detector surfaces may be the limiting background in many experiments
attempting to detect dark matter or neutrinoless double-beta decay, and in
screening detectors. In order to reduce backgrounds from radon-daughter
plate-out onto the wires of the BetaCage during its assembly, an
ultra-low-radon cleanroom is being commissioned at Syracuse University using a
vacuum-swing-adsorption radon-mitigation system. The radon filter shows
~20× reduction at its output, from 7.47±0.56 to 0.37±0.12
Bq/m3, and the cleanroom radon activity meets project requirements, with a
lowest achieved value consistent with that of the filter, and levels
consistently < 2 Bq/m3.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT)
2013, Gran Sasso, Italy, April 10-12, 201