QUEST-DMC: Background Modelling and Resulting Heat Deposit for a Superfluid Helium-3 Bolometer

• DOI: 10.1007/s10909-024-03142-w
• Publication Date: 2024-05-15T14:02:57Z
• Authors: S. Autti; A. Casey; N. Eng; N. Darvishi; P. Franchini; R. P. Haley; P. J. Heikkinen; A. Kemp; E. Leason; L. V. Levitin; J. Monroe; J. March-Russel; M. T. Noble; J. R. Prance; X. Rojas; T. Salmon; J. Saunders; R. Smith; M. D. Thompson; V. Tsepelin; S. M. West; L. Whitehead; K. Zhang; D. E. Zmeev
• Keywords: Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter; Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors; 0103 physical sciences; FOS: Physical sciences; Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det); 530; 01 natural sciences; Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)

We report the results of radioactivity assays and heat leak calculations for a range common cryogenic materials, considered use in QUEST-DMC superfluid 3He dark matter detector. The bolometer, instrumented with nanomechanical resonators, will be sensitive to energy deposits from interactions. Events radioactive decays cosmic rays constitute significant background must precisely modelled, using combination material screening Monte Carlo simulations. However, presented here are wider interest experiments quantum devices minute leaks spurious events, thus we present per unit mass or surface area every studied. This can inform choices other experiments, especially if underground operation is where radiogenic backgrounds dominate even at shallow depths.