The Electronics and Data Acquisition System for the PandaX-I Dark Matter Experiment

TL;DR

This paper details the electronics and data acquisition system of the PandaX-I dark matter experiment, highlighting its low threshold and minimal deadtime for effective detection in underground xenon-based dark matter searches.

Contribution

It introduces a custom electronics and data acquisition system optimized for low-energy threshold and continuous data collection in a large-scale dark matter detector.

Findings

Achieved trigger threshold below 1 keV electron-equivalent energy

Maintained low deadtime during the entire experimental run

Successfully operated 180 channels of waveform digitizers

Abstract

We describe the electronics and data acquisition system used in the first phase of the PandaX experiment -- a 120 kg dual-phase liquid xenon dark matter direct detection experiment in the China Jin-Ping Underground Laboratory. This system utilized 180 channels of commercial flash ADC waveform digitizers. This system achieved low trigger threshold ($<$1 keV electron-equivalent energy) and low deadtime data acquistion during the entire experimental run.