Study of cosmogenic activation in \(^{76}\)Ge enriched germanium detectors during fabrication and transportation above ground

Abstract

Rare event search experiments using germanium detectors are operated in underground laboratories to minimize the background induced by cosmic rays. However, the cosmogenic activation in germanium crystals on the ground during fabrication and transportation generates long half-life radionuclides and contributes a considerable background. We simulated the production rates of cosmogenic radionuclides in germanium and calculated the specifi c activities of cosmogenic radionuclides according to the scheduled fabrication and transportation processes of \(^{76}\)Ge enriched germanium detectors. The impact of cosmogenic background in germanium crystals for the next generation CDEX experiment was assessed with the scheduled exposure history above ground.