Members:

• Dongming Mei
• Chao Zhang
• Wenzhao Wei
• Chris Chiller
• Angela Chiller
• Silvia Scorza
• Hang Qiu
• Kimberly Palladino
• Jodi Cooley
• Alan Robinson

• Calculate more (alpha,n) neutron yields and energy spectra for the materials used in ultra-low background experiments
  • * Priority will be given to include alphas from U-228 and radon decay chain
• Validate the calculations with other simulation packages (webpage with results)
  • * SORCES4 code validation pdf
  • * Compare cross sections from EMPIRE vs TALYS (EMPIRE provides the excited states and x-sections for SOURCES)
  • * Dongming's website at USD (neutronyield.usd.edu) using TALYS to do his calculations
  • * Want to compare for common materials such as Cu, poly, Pb, norite and PMT glass
  • * Kimberly Palladino (MIT) to visit SMU in January to work with Silvia and Hang
  • * Priority will be given to verify neutron energy spectrum in different materials
• Convert the calculated (alpha,n) cross-sections into GEANT4 data format
• Create physics links in GEANT4 for (alpha,n) reaction
• Make GEANT4 package available for (alpha,n) simulation
• Compile the measured radioactive background data at the Homestake Mine to be useful for large community
  • * Gamma-ray flux and radon level from rock
• Generate the Mine background data files for large community
• Study of radon emanation and radon reduction
  • * Radon emanation screening for different materials needed for G2 experiments?
  • * Radon daughter plate-out measurementrs
  • * Radon reduction system (scrubber) needed for G2 experiments?

This working group will focus on the topic concerning to radiogenic productions. we will take bi-weekly meeting on Wednesday 10-11pm CDT. We are going to use the Big Blue Button as our primary tool for the meeting, the instructions are listed below:

1. Go to the following website: http://shemp.physics.smu.edu/physics/index.jsp
2. Enter your name in the box 'Full Name'. This is how your name will be displayed for everyone to see.
3. Select 'Virtual Room - AARM Conference Room' from the pull down session menu.
4. Enter the pswd for the conference 'faarm'. Note it is case sensitive.
5. Hit the 'Join' button.

Once the session starts you will be prompted to 'allow' or 'deny' flash settings. You should select 'allow'. Then you will see a box to test your audio settings. If everything looks good hit 'Join Audio'.

If the Big Blue Button somehow doesn't work out, we will switch to the following phone bridge:

Meeting agenda and notes

1. AmBe measurement paper
2. AmBe calculation
3. Selvi - Review of MC Simulations for Backgrounds from Radioactivity, LRT2013 (pdf of talk) (pdf of proceedings)
4. Alan Robinson's thesis - (alpha,n) evaluations and backgrounds for PICO.

Meeting agenda and notes