Simulation of Muon-induced Backgrounds for the Colorado Underground Research Institute (CURIE)
Abstrak
We present a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation of muon-induced backgrounds for the Colorado Underground Research Institute (CURIE), a shallow-underground facility with $\approx 415$~m.w.e. overburden. Using coupled \textsc{mute} and \textsc{geant4} frameworks, we characterize the production and transport of muon-induced secondaries through site-specific rock compositions and geometries, establishing a proof-of-concept for high-precision, end-to-end simulations. Our simulations employ angular-dependent muon energy distributions, which improve secondary flux accuracy. For the Subatomic Particle Hideout and Cryolab I research spaces, we predict total muon-induced neutron fluxes of $(8.52 \pm 1.30_{\text{sys}}) \times 10^{-3}$~m$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ and $(8.86 \pm 1.62_{\text{sys}}) \times 10^{-3}$~m$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, respectively. Additionally, we develop a Depth-Intensity Relation (DIR) to predict the muon-induced neutron flux as a function of facility depth, which is consistent with measurements across a broad range of underground depths. These results provide quantitative background predictions for experimental design and sensitivity projections at shallow- and deep-underground facilities. They further demonstrate that local geology and overburden geometry influence muon-induced secondary yields and energy spectra, emphasizing the need for site-specific simulations for accurate underground background characterization. Therefore, the simulation framework has been made publicly available at \href{https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17196581}{https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17196581}, for the broader low-background physics community to enable meaningful inter-facility comparisons.
Topik & Kata Kunci
Penulis (8)
Dakota K. Keblbeck
Eric Mayotte
Uwe Greife
Kyle G. Leach
Wouter Van De Pontseele
Caitlyn Stone-Whitehead
Luke Wanner
Grace Wagner
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2025
- Bahasa
- en
- Sumber Database
- arXiv
- Akses
- Open Access ✓