Radiogenic neutron yield calculations for low-background experiments

Nuclear recoil backgrounds are one of the most dangerous backgrounds for many dark matter experiments. A primary source of nuclear recoils is radiogenic neutrons produced in the detector material itself. These neutrons result from fission and (α , n) reactions originating from uranium and thorium contamination. In this paper, we discuss neutron yields from these sources. We compile a list of (α , n) yields for many materials common in low-background detectors, calculated using NeuCBOT (Neutron Calculator Based On TALYS), a new tool introduced in this paper, available at https://github.com/shawest/neucbot. These calculations are compared to computations made using data compilations and SOURCES-4C.