CTBT: Science and Technology Conference 2025 - SnT2025

A Continuous and Automatic Argon-37 Monitoring Station

P3.2-406

10 Sept 2025, 11:00

1h

Zeremoniensaal

Board: 9

E-poster T3.2 Radionuclide Technologies and Applications P3.2 Radionuclide Technologies and Applications

Speaker

Benjamin Asher (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL))

Description

Various human-made phenomena such as medical isotope facilities and power plants have complicated the understanding of radioxenon measurements. Argon-37 could be added to increase confidence in observations. However, the atmospheric background of argon-37 is not as well understood as the radioxenons. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a new continuous and automatic benchtop capability designed to measure atmospheric argon-37 background levels. This capability has been operational for several campaigns to begin understanding natural variations in these levels. System operations, first findings and detection limits will be discussed as well as the next steps to increase these limits and effective system up-time