This page is intended to help organize the breakout sessions. There are 3 primary categories, each with several subtopics. Note that there is natural overlap among the categories, and that cross-collaboration is encouraged.

There are two breakout sessions on Thursday and Friday afternoons and a combined session on Saturday intended for integration:

1. Mar 20 (Thu) 3:30-6:00 pm → Identify topics and tasks
2. Mar 21 (Fri) 4:00-6:00 pm → Prioritize topics and plan future work
3. Mar 22 (Sat) 10:30 am - 12:00 pm → Integration into proposals, Consortium planning, and new integrative initiatives

coordinator: Anthony Villano

Specialized Detector Physics Simulation (Thu 3:30 - 5:00 pm) How can specialized models be incorporated into simulation packages systematically, how can different detector packages be cross-compared systematically and continuously for new versions to be sure models behave correctly and new data is incorporated properly.

• specialized detector physics
• specific benchmarking with specialized geometry (e.g. Geant4/FLUKA comparison)
• microscopic data for vetting specialized detector physics

Cross-Collaboration with Neutron Benchmarking (Thu 5:00 - 6:00 pm) Identify the data which exists and where they can constrain the understanding of backgrounds. Specifically focus on exactly how some data sets can be used to constrain cosmogenic simulations.

• useful experimental datasets
  • Gran Sasso (LVD, Borexino)
  • Soudan (LBCF, MINOS, Soudan 2)
  • CERN (HE muon spallation)

• simulation physics constraint schemes
  • Beam measurements – directly measure cross spallation cross sections
  • Cavern measurements (delayed n's w/o energy)
  • Cavern measurements (prompt n's w/o energy)
  • Cavern measurements (prompt n's w/ energy)

Simulation Codes (Fri 4:00 - 5:00 pm) Review of the existing packages for simulation and what processes exist and what the models are to add processes.

• simulation packages for low background physics (Geant4, FLUKA, MCNP)
• processes in each simulation package
  1. model for adding to each package
  2. relevant processes which exist in each package
  3. specific models used by all these processes – and for different versions of the packages

Cross-collaboration with Radiogenics (Fri 5:00 - 6:00 pm)

• cross sections data for microscopic (e.g. (alpha,n)) events
• specific small scale cross section data (e.g. (alpha,n))

coordinators: Jodi Cooley and Chao Zhang

secretary: Silvia Scorza & Jeter Hall

minutes: docx

Assays Thu 3:30 - 4:30 pm

• Community Assays Database
  • SNOLAB involvement
  • Historical and current data entry
• Facilities, access and needs (review of what has been done)
  • SNOWMASS 2013 report on assay needs (arXiv:1311.3311) (raw data)
  • SNOWMASS 2013 data collected on world wide facilities (wiki)
• New Detector Developments?
  • Beta Cage
  • XIA Alpha Counter for surface events
  • Others?

Background Reduction Thu 4:30 - 5:30 pm

• Radon abatement
  • Radon plate-out and diffusion studies
    • L. Pattavina, LRT 2013 - pdf
    • E.W. Hoppe et. al, NIM A 79 (2007) 486–489_ - pdf
    • V. E. Guiseppe et. al, LRT 2010 arXiv:11.0126v1.pdf
    • R. Rau, LRT 2010 APC000164.pdf
    • C. Cosma, NIM B 179 (2001) 255-261 pdf
  • Radon reduction systems
    • R.W. Schnee, swing system -http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4818089
• Cleaning and Handling
  • Review of techniques used
    • LRT 2013 Conference Proceedings
  • Recommendations of best techniques
• Purification Techniques (cryogens, water, scintillator, noble liquids)

Calculations Fri 4:00 - 5:00

• SOURCES and USD alpha-n and fission neutron calculations
  • Silvia gave state of comparisons during plenary.
    • Other issues that should be resolved?
  • USD Website of spectra available here.
  • Should we create a database of spectra calculated by SOURCES4?
    • Demo of mySQL database for this purpose.
  • Should/Can we facilitate sharing of code used by counting facilities (.i.e. HPGe counters, etc)

Cross Collaboration with Simulation Working Group Fri 5:00 - 6:00 pm

• Nuclear cross sections and new experiments to improve nuclear data
  • Cross sections data for microscopic (e.g. (alpha,n)) events
  • Specific small scale cross section data (e.g. (alpha,n))
• Studies of non-equilibrium decay
• Neutron capture in materials
• Implement physics model into GEANT4

coordinator: Ray Bunker

Measurements — Thu 3:30-4:30 pm

• Where are we now? (i.e., which neutron- and muon-related backgrounds are well measured?)
  • Muon-induced neutrons — summary papers:
    • Muon-Induced Background Study for Underground Laboratories
      • Mei & Hime, PRD 73 (2006) 053004 — arXiv:astro-ph/0512125
    • Muon-Induced neutron production and detection with Geant4 and FLUKA
      • Araujo et al., NIM A545 (2005) 398 — arXiv:hep-ex/0411026
      • Also, Kudryavtsev et al., NIM A505 (2004) 688 — arXiv:hep-ex/0303007
      • Also, Kudryavtsev et al., Eur Phys. J. A36 (2008) 171 — arXiv:0802.3566
    • Predicting Neutron Production from Cosmic-ray Muons
      • Wang et al., PRD 64 (2001) 013012 — arXiv:hep-ex/0101049
  • Detector-specific measurements:
    • Production of Radioactive Isotopes through Cosmic Muon Spallation in KamLAND
      • KamLAND — S. Abe et al., PRC 81 (2010) 025807 — arXiv:0907.0066
      • Also, Galbiati & Beacom, PRC 72 (2005) 025807 — arXiv:hep-ph/0504227
    • A detection system to measure muon-induced neutrons for direct Dark Matter searches
      • Modaine — Kozlov et al., Astropart. Phys. 34 (2010) 97 — arXiv:1006.3098
    • Measurement and simulation of the muon-induced neutron yield in lead
      • Zeplin III — Reichhart et al., Astropart. Phys. 47 (2013) 67 — arXiv:1302.4275v2
    • Cosmogenic Background in Borexino at 3800 m water-equivalent depth
      • Borexino — Bellini et al., JCAP 1308 (2013) 049 — arXiv:1304.7381
    • Measurement of the muon-induced neutron yield in liquid scintillator and stainless steel at LNGS with the LVD experiment
      • LVD — Persiani et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 1549 (2013) 235 — LRT 2013
  • Spallation-source measurements:
    • Investigations of fast neutron production by high energy muon interactions on different targets
      • Chazal et al., Nucl. Phys. A663 (2000) 885
    • Validation of spallation neutron production and propagation within Geant4
      • Marino et al., NIM A582 (2007) 611 — arXiv:0708.0848
  • Others?
  • Organization of measurements, publications, and constraints?
• What remains to be done? (i.e., which backgrounds are still poorly constrained?)
  • High-energy neutron flux & energy spectrum vs. depth
    • Which production processes are least well constrained?
    • Topology with respect to parent muon/shower
  • Background from muon bundles
  • Long-lived isotopes from muon spallation & stopping muons
  • Radiogenic benchmarking
  • Others?

Data - Part I — Thu 4:30-5 pm

• Existing data sets — can new measurements be made with existing data?
  • LVD, Borexino and other large-volume detectors

Cross-collaboration with Simulation — Thu 5-6 pm

Data - Part II — Fri 4-4:30 pm

• Near-term expected data — what can/will we do with data from current experiments?
  • NMM, FaNS, Watchman, USD detector, others?

Detector Technology — Fri 4:30-6 pm

• Pros & cons of different neutron-detection technologies
  • e.g., liquid scintillator vs. water; Gd vs. Li vs. B doping, modular vs. monolithic, etc.
• Design/proposal of next-generation neutron detector/facility for underground measurements
  • Also, neutron-veto design & prototyping
• Funding for underground benchmarking in general

Prisca Cushman (3/18/2014)

Natural Radioactivity in Shielding Materials and Detectors

• Simulation
  • Codes and frameworks
  • General Physics models and processes
  • Advances in specific detector physics (e.g. noble liquids, or photon physics)
  • Nuclear cross sections and new experiments to improve nuclear data
  • Databases (e.g. alpha-n etc)
• Assay
  • Assay techniques and advances
  • Facilities and access
  • Materials database (incl. identification of vendors)
• Background Reduction
  • Radon abatement
  • Cleaning and Handling
  • Purification Techniques (cryogens, water, scintillator, noble liquids)

Cosmogenic Effects

• Muon distributions
  • Parameterization and physics
  • Site-specific distributions, MUSUN
  • Cosmic Ray physics: bundles and modulation effects
• Muon-induced neutrons
  • Simulation
    • neutron yield and physics models (FLUKA v GEANT4)
    • multiplicity, depth study
  • Benchmarking
    • Experiments that allow comparison
    • Simulation of those experiments
• Cosmogenic Activation
  • Nuclear physics and experimental confirmation
  • Material storage underground

Organization and Shared Resources

• Shared User Facilities for screening
• Populating and regulating the Materials Database
• Simulation tools
• Creating a community for shared resources and information - future of AARM