The Low-Radioactivity Underground Argon Workshop: A workshop synopsis

TL;DR

This paper summarizes a 2018 workshop focused on the challenges, sources, and measurement techniques related to producing and characterizing low-radioactivity underground argon for scientific applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current needs, production methods, and measurement challenges for low-radioactivity argon, based on expert discussions and presentations.

Findings

Identification of key sources of low-radioactivity argon

Discussion of methods for measuring argon radionuclides

Outline of production challenges and needs

Abstract

In response to the growing need for low-radioactivity argon, community experts and interested parties came together for a 2-day workshop to discuss the worldwide low-radioactivity argon needs and the challenges associated with its production and characterization. Several topics were covered: experimental needs and requirements for low-radioactivity argon, the sources of low-radioactivity argon and its production, how long-lived argon radionuclides are created in nature, measuring argon radionuclides, and other applicable topics. The Low-Radioactivity Underground Argon (LRUA) workshop took place on March 19-20, 2018 at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland Washington, USA. This paper is a synopsis of the workshop with the associated abstracts from the talks.