222Rn emanation measurements at extremely low activities

For the solar neutrino experiment Borexino, a system has been set up to measure emanation of 222Rn in samples of up to 80 litres volume. The apparatus has been constructed to high vacuum standard and consists mainly of parts made from electropolished stainless steel. The low blank activity of the system together with a highly sensitive detection method for the extracted Rn leads to a sensitivity level in the range 70–100 μBq 222Rn. Due to the large sample capacity of the emanation chambers, it is possible to measure specific emanation rates as low as several μBq/m2. Some measurements characterizing the performance of the apparatus are discussed.