https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10345-6
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Material radiopurity control in the XENONnT experiment
1
Physics Department, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA
2
Kamioka Observatory, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, and Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), University of Tokyo, Higashi-Mozumi, 506-1205, Kamioka Hida, Gifu, Japan
3
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna and INFN-Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
4
LPNHE, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, CNRS/IN2P3, 75005, Paris, France
5
Institut für Physik & Exzellenzcluster PRISMA+, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099, Mainz, Germany
6
Institut für Kernphysik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 48149, Münster, Germany
7
INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Torino, Department of Physics, University of Torino and INFN-Torino, 10125, Turin, Italy
8
Nikhef and the University of Amsterdam, Science Park, 1098XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9
Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
10
Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, IL, USA
11
Particle and Planetary Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi-Center for Astro, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
12
Physik-Institut, University of Zürich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
13
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, 47907, West Lafayette, IN, USA
14
INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso and Gran Sasso Science Institute, 67100, L’Aquila, Italy
15
Physikalisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
16
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
17
SUBATECH, IMT Atlantique, CNRS/IN2P3, Université de Nantes, 44307, Nantes, France
18
Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
19
LIBPhys, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, 3004-516, Coimbra, Portugal
20
Department of Physics “Ettore Pancini”, University of Napoli and INFN-Napoli, 80126, Naples, Italy
21
Institute for Astroparticle Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
22
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 77005, Houston, TX, USA
23
Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of L’Aquila, 67100, L’Aquila, Italy
24
Department of Physics and Center for High Energy Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
25
Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe, and Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-8602, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
26
Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 92093, La Jolla, CA, USA
27
Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, 91405, Orsay, France
28
Department of Physics, Kobe University, 657-8501, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
29
Institute for Subatomic Physics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
30
Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Aichi, Japan
31
Coimbra Polytechnic-ISEC, 3030-199, Coimbra, Portugal
32
INFN, Sez. di Ferrara and Dip. di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, via G. Saragat 1, Edificio C, 44122, Ferrara, Italy
Received:
13
December
2021
Accepted:
19
April
2022
Published online:
8
July
2022
The selection of low-radioactive construction materials is of the utmost importance for rare-event searches and thus critical to the XENONnT experiment. Results of an extensive radioassay program are reported, in which material samples have been screened with gamma-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and 
Rn emanation measurements. Furthermore, the cleanliness procedures applied to remove or mitigate surface contamination of detector materials are described. Screening results, used as inputs for a XENONnT Monte Carlo simulation, predict a reduction of materials background (
17%) with respect to its predecessor XENON1T. Through radon emanation measurements, the expected Rn activity concentration in XENONnT is determined to be 4.2 (
) 
Bq/kg, a factor three lower with respect to XENON1T. This radon concentration will be further suppressed by means of the novel radon distillation system.
© The Author(s) 2022. corrected publication 2022
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Funded by SCOAP3. SCOAP3 supports the goals of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
