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Measurement of the specific activity of Ar-39 in natural argon

P. Benetti, F. Calaprice, E. Calligarich, M. Cambiaghi, F. Carbonara, F. Cavanna, A. G. Cocco, F. Di Pompeo, N. Ferrari, G. Fiorillo, C. Galbiati, L. Grandi, G. Mangano, C. Montanari, L. Pandola, A. Rappoldi, G. L. Raselli, M. Roncadelli, M. Rossella, C. Rubbia, R. Santorelli, A. M. Szelc, C. Vignoli, Y. Zhao

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0603131

Abstract

We report on the measurement of the specific activity of Ar-39 in natural argon. The measurement was performed with a 2.3-liter two-phase (liquid and gas) argon drift chamber. The detector was developed by the WARP Collaboration as a prototype detector for WIMP Dark Matter searches with argon as a target. The detector was operated for more than two years at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, at a depth of 3,400 m w.e. The specific activity measured for Ar-39 is 1.01 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) Bq per kg of natural Ar.

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