Summary

The Romanian Ultra-low Radiation Background Laboratory (bicroBq) is operated by IFIN-HH, Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (Bucharest-Magurele, Romania).

The 3 MV Tandetron used in conjunction with the microBq lab demonstrated sensitivity in the range of a hundred pbarn for direct methods applications in nuclear astrophysics.

Description

microBq low-background radiation laboratory was constructed and fully commissioned in 2006 in the former Unirea (Slanic-Prahova) salt mine at 208 m below surface (estimated to 560 m water equivalent). Preliminary measurements showed a global reduction of the absorbed dose due to natural factors of about 39 times compared to level on the surface, reaching inside the mine 1.17±0.14 nGy/h. The total gamma background spectrum between 40 keV and 3 MeV was 4000 times smaller at laboratory level with respect to the same spectrum recorder at surface, in open field.

Presentation

http://www.nipne.ro/indico/getFile.py/access?contribId=46&sessionId=2&resId=0&materialId=slides&confId=325

Linked ChETEC institution

• Institutul National de Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara “Horia Hulubei” (IFIN-HH)

Web page

• http://tandem.nipne.ro/accelerators.php

ChETEC contact persons

• Livius Trache (livius.trachenipne.ro)
• Mihai Straticiuc (mihai.straticiuccern.ch)