Estimation of the radioactivity induced by cosmic rays in the rock salt cavern of an underground laboratory

摘要

Underground physics laboratories offer an option for the investigations of rareprocesses as proton decays, neutrinoless double-beta decay, direct measurements of themass of neutrinos, or processes initiated by neutrinos or dark matter components. Agood understanding of the natural radioactivity background is essential for the successof all types of experiments. In this contribution, self-radioactivity and radioactivityinduced by reactions of cosmic rays (neutrinos/antineutrinos, muons) and secondaryreactions in the sodium and chlorine isotopes in the rocks of the cavern are investigatedas sources for radioactive background in underground. All estimations were carried outfor the case of depths bellow 1000 m.w.e, but a discussion of the differences in the caseof a deeper underground laboratory is done.