Low temperature thermal conductivity of candidate materials for the supports of CUORE

Abstract

The CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment uses a large array of detectors for the search of ββ - (Ov) decay. Approximately 15 · 103 kg of lead shielding must be cooled to below 1 K and a mass of 1.5 · 103 kg must be cooled to 10 mK. Several tie-rods or straps will be used to support the different parts of the experiment. One end of each support is at low temperature (10 mK for the detector frame, 50 mK for the coldest radiation shield and lead shield, 700 mK for the radiation shield linked to the refrigerator still) with the other end usually at room temperature. Hence, knowledge of the thermal conductivity of the materials up to room temperature is important. We report thermal conductivity data of four candidate materials for the CUORE suspensions: Ti6Al4V alloy, 316LN stainless steel, Torlon 4203, Kevlar49, together with the required support cross sections and the corresponding thermal loads. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.