@inproceedings{0ad2abe94e374b6980ff896908192f49,
title = "Screening surface contamination with BetaCage",
abstract = "Existing screening facilities are insufficiently sensitive to meet the needs of rare-event experiments for low-energy electron emitters and alpha-decaying isotopes. To provide such screening, the BetaCage will be a low-background, atmospheric-pressure neon drift chamber with unprecedented sensitivity to emitters of low-energy electrons and alpha particles. Minimization of the detector mass and use of radiopure materials reduce background events. The chamber design accepts nearly all alphas and low-energy electrons from the sample surface while allowing excellent rejection of residual backgrounds. A non-radiopure prototype is under construction to test the design. The BetaCage will provide new infrastructure for rare-event science as well as for a wider community that uses radioactive screening for areas including archaeology, biology, climatology, environmental science, geology, planetary science, and integrated-circuit quality control.",
keywords = "Alpha decay, Beta decay, Dark matter, Low radioactive background screening, Proportional counter, Radioisotope dating",
author = "Schnee, \{R. W.\} and Z. Ahmed and Golwala, \{S. R.\} and Grant, \{D. R.\} and K. Poinar",
year = "2007",
doi = "10.1063/1.2722063",
language = "English",
isbn = "073540402X",
series = "AIP Conference Proceedings",
pages = "20--25",
booktitle = "Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques",
note = "Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques: LTR 2006 ; Conference date: 01-10-2006 Through 04-10-2006",
}