Limiting Radioactivity to Facilitate Next-Generation Rare Event Detection

In the search for rare events, a constant problem with precise measuring devices is the radioactivity of the materials used to construct the detector. Most metals and minerals contain Uranium-238, which leads to a long decay chain of various heavy elements that contribute noise. Even in trace amounts, this background becomes a limiting factor for signal detection. This project aims to configure a Germanium-IV detector to investigate potential candidates for next-generation detector design. Initial stages of setup and data collection indicate that a physical malfunction exists preventing the desired investigations. As a precursor, data was accumulated for analysis to bear insight into the nature of the malady. After ten weeks of gathering and parsing through the data obtained, a technique was devised that allows for an accurate extraction of the upper limit of sample radioactivity using the detector in its current state.