SPALAX NG: A breakthrough in radioxenon field measurement

Highlights: • SPALAX stations have been in operation for 15 years. • 5 years of dedicated R&D leaded to gas process and spectrometry upgrades. • 3 month comparison between a R&D unit on a standard SPALAX station is given. • Proving its higher sensitivity to radioxenon. - Abstract: Lessons-learned from 10 years of noble gas stations operation and dedicated R&D allowed the design of a New Generation of station. In order to produce 60 m³ air equivalent Xenon samples every 8 h, it implements: (i) larger sampler unit for Xenon extraction (2 compressors and 8 nitrogen membranes), (ii) new noble gas adsorbent ([email protected]), (iii) hardened components and (iv) new high resolution coincidence low background spectrometer (HPGe/PIPSBox). Station expected radioxenon sensitivity is lower than 0.3 mBq/m³.