Abstract: The Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc (LSC) is the Spanish national hub for low radioactivity techniques and the associated scientific and technological applications. The concentration of the airborne radon is a major component of the radioactive budget in the neighborhood of the detectors. The LSC hosts a Radon Abatement System, which delivers a radon suppressed air with 1.1 & PLUSMN;0.2 mBq/m(3) of Rn-222. The radon content in the air is continuously monitored with an Electrostatic Radon Monitor. Measurements with the double beta decay demonstrators NEXT-NEW and CROSS and the gamma HPGe detectors show the important reduction of the radioactive background due to the purified air in the vicinity of the detectors. We also discuss the use of this facility in the LSC current program which includes NEXT-100, low background biology experiments and radiopure copper electroformation equipment placed in the radon-free clean room.

Abstract: We report measurements of the flux-integrated (nu) over bar (mu) and (nu) over bar (mu) + nu(mu) charged-current cross -sections on water and hydrocarbon targets using the T2K anti-neutrino beam with a mean beam energy of 0.86 GeV. The signal is defined as the (anti -)neutrino charged-current interaction with one induced mu(+/-) and no detected charged pion or proton. These measurements are performed using a new WAGASCI module recently added to the T2K setup in combination with the INGRID Proton Module. The phase space of muons is restricted to the high-detection efficiency region, p(mu) > 400 MeV/c and theta(mu) < 30 degrees, in the laboratory frame. An absence of pions and protons in the detectable phase spaces of p(pi) > 200 MeV/c, theta(pi) < 70 degrees and p(p) > 600 MeV/c, theta(p) < 70 degrees is required. In this paper, both the <(nu)over bar>(mu), cross-sections and (nu) over bar (mu) + nu(mu), cross-sections on water and hydrocarbon targets and their ratios are provided by using the D'Agostini unfolding method. The results of the integrated (nu) over bar (mu), cross-section measurements over this phase space are sigma(H2O) = (1.082 +/- 0.068(stat.)(+0.145)(-0.128)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, sigma(CH) = (1.096 +/- 0.054 (stat.)(+0.132)(-0.117)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2) /nucleon, and sigma(H2O)/sigma(CH) = 0.987 +/- 0.078 (stat.)(+0.093)(-0.090)(syst.). The (nu) over bar (mu), + nu(mu), cross-section is sigma(H2O) = (1.155 +/- 0.064(stat.)(+0.148)(-0.129)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, sigma(CH) = (1.159 +/- 0.049(stat.)(+0.129)(-0.115)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, and sigma(H2O)/sigma(CH) = 0.996 +/- 0.069(stat.)(+0.083)(-0.078)(syst.).

Abstract: Xe-CO2 mixtures are important alternatives to pure xenon in Time Projection Chambers (TPC) based on secondary scintillation (electroluminescence) signal amplification with applications in the important field of rare event detection such as directional dark matter, double electron capture and double beta decay detection. The addition of CO2 to pure xenon at the level of 0.05-0.1% can reduce significantly the scale of electron diffusion from 10 mm/root m to 2.5 mm/root m, with high impact on the discrimination of the events through pattern recognition of the topology of primary ionization trails. We have measured the electroluminescence (EL) yield of Xe-CO2 mixtures, with sub-percent CO2 concentrations. We demonstrate that the EL production is still high in these mixtures, 70% and 35% relative to that produced in pure xenon, for CO2 concentrations around 0.05% and 0.1%, respectively. The contribution of the statistical fluctuations in EL production to the energy resolution increases with increasing CO2 concentration, being smaller than the contribution of the Fano factor for concentrations below 0.1% CO2.