Low-background techniques for neutrino physics searches with DARWIN

In the current state of rare-event searches such as direct dark matter detection with the future multi-ton scale DARWIN detector, background control and reduction is critical. A significant part of this background comes from the radioactive decays of the daughter nuclei of 238U and 232Th (e.g. 214Bi or 208Tl). Several strategies have been adopted by low-background experiments in astro-particle physics to tackle this issue. Materials are screened and selected for radio-purity, detector manufacturing is tightly controlled and surface cleaning techniques are explored. These techniques will be extensively used for the preparation of the future dark matter experiment DARWIN. Its main goal will be direct dark matter detection, but other subjects such as the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of Xe-136 or the detection of solar neutrinos will also be within the physics scope.