Investigating high radio-purity electroformation capabilities at Boulby Underground Laboratory
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Extreme radiopurity is key for rare-event searches in particle physics, including searches for Dark Matter (DM) and neutrinoless double beta-decay. Electroformed copper (EFCu) is the material of choice for manufacturing ultra-high radiopurity structures for experiments and radio-assay programs. In particular, EFCu produced in clean-rooms at underground laboratories maximises radiopurity by avoiding cosmogenic activation. SNOLab in Canada is working towards establishing the world's largest underground electroforming facility by hosting the Electroformed CUprum Manufacturing Experiment (ECUME). ECUME aspires to deliver a 140 cm in diameter spherical proportional counter for use in direct DM searches, with construction scheduled to start early in 2021. Through Birmingham's contribution to ECUME, the unique opportunity arises for Boulby Underground Laboratory, and the UK in general, to acquire expertise on high radio-purity EFCu, towards establishing an underground electroforming capability. This development will further strengthen Boulby's world-leading ultra-low background material assay facility and the capacity to support and host future experimental activities.
Publications
Adari P
(2022)
EXCESS workshop: Descriptions of rising low-energy spectra
in SciPost Physics Proceedings
Arnaud Q
(2022)
Solar Kaluza-Klein axion search with NEWS-G
in Physical Review D
Balogh L
(2023)
The NEWS-G detector at SNOLAB
in Journal of Instrumentation
Balogh L
(2022)
The NEWS-G detector at SNOLAB
Balogh L
(2023)
Exploring light dark matter with the DarkSPHERE spherical proportional counter electroformed underground at the Boulby Underground Laboratory
in Physical Review D
G Collaboration
(2021)
Solar Kaluza-Klein axion search with NEWS-G
Knights P
(2023)
Status and future prospects of the NEWS-G experiment
in SciPost Physics Proceedings
| Description | This award supported the development and commissioning of an underground ultra-pure copper electroforming facility, a cutting-edge ultra-radiopure manufacturing technique, in the Boulby Underground Laboratory, the UK's deep underground science facility. This timely project benefitted from the wealth of experience and on-going work by international scientific collaborations, e.g. the NEWS-G experiment. This facility provides the capability to manufacture ultra-pure copper, which is critical to the success of rare-event search experiments. This is transformative to the potential of Boulby to host future experiments towards understanding the particle nature of dark matter and the characteristics of neutrinos. Moreover, it complements the existing investment in Boulby's radioassay facility. |
| Exploitation Route | This work has established a cutting-edge manufacturing technique in the UK, which is a prerequisite to many proposed future experiment (NEWS-G/DarkSPHERE, XLZD, etc.), and has enhanced the UK's potential to host such projects. The facility will be used to construct a spherical detector which will be employed by the international NEWS-G collaboration to search for light dark matter in Boulby, with world-leading physics potential. Furthermore, the facility is available to other experiments and research projects, for example, it will be used to study how other materials might be prepared to reduce the background they give in experiments, and it will be used to improve the existing radioassay facilities, by retroactively fitting them with ultra-pure copper to improve their sensitivity. |
| Sectors | Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | High Radiopurity Copper ElectroFormation at the Boulby Underground Laboratory |
| Amount | £141,032 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/W005611/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | High radiopurity underground copper electroformation |
| Organisation | Queen's University |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Copper electroformation |
| Collaborator Contribution | infrastructure, radio-assay techniques, electro-chemistry |
| Impact | Development of underground electroforming capabilities for the Boulby Underground Laboratory, UK's deep underground science facility. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | High radiopurity underground copper electroformation |
| Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Copper electroformation |
| Collaborator Contribution | infrastructure, radio-assay techniques, electro-chemistry |
| Impact | Development of underground electroforming capabilities for the Boulby Underground Laboratory, UK's deep underground science facility. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | High radiopurity underground copper electroformation |
| Organisation | U.S. Department of Energy |
| Department | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Copper electroformation |
| Collaborator Contribution | infrastructure, radio-assay techniques, electro-chemistry |
| Impact | Development of underground electroforming capabilities for the Boulby Underground Laboratory, UK's deep underground science facility. |
| Start Year | 2021 |