SAUNA field - A sensitive system for analysis of radioxenon in soil gas samples

A high throughput system for processing and detection of low levels of radioxenon in soil gas samples has been developed. Processing and analysis of sub-soil noble gas samples puts high demands on the gas separation part of the system since the samples might contain high levels of Rn, CO₂ as well as other gases. The gas process is optimized to remove all CO₂, H₂O and Rn with a high recovery yield of the xenon in the sample to ensure a high sensitivity even for small samples. The system is designed to handle multiple samples per day with a high level of automation and sample traceability to be suitable for use in an on-site inspection (OSI) an important component in the verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. To ensure a rapid deployment the system could be pre-installed in a flight container.