Internal Calibration of the PandaX-II Detector with Radon Gaseous Sources

Abstract

We have developed a low-energy electron recoil (ER) calibration method with ${}^{220}$Rn for the PandaX-II detector. ${}^{220}$Rn, emanated from natural thorium compounds, was fed into the detector through the xenon purification system. From 2017 to 2019, we performed three dedicated calibration campaigns with different radon sources. We studied the detector response to $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\gamma$ particles with focus on low energy ER events. During the runs in 2017 and 2018, the amount of radioactivity of ${}^{222}$Rn were on the order of 1\% of that of ${}^{220}$Rn and thorium particulate contamination was negligible, especially in 2018. We also measured the background contribution from ${}^{214}$Pb for the first time in PandaX-II with the help from a ${}^{222}$Rn injection. Calibration strategy with ${}^{220}$Rn and ${}^{222}$Rn will be implemented in the upcoming PandaX-4T experiment and can be useful for other xenon-based detectors as well.

arXiv comment14 pages, 8 figures. published in JINST

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• Searching for Two-Neutrino and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of ${}^{134}$Xe with the PandaX-4T Experiment
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• Determination of responses of liquid xenon to low energy electron and nuclear recoils using the PandaX-II detector
• Design and Commissioning of the PandaX-4T Cryogenic Distillation System for Krypton and Radon Removal
• Proposal of a Geiger-type Single-Phase Liquid Xenon Time Projection Chamber as Potential Detector Technique for Dark Matter Direct Search
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• Characterization of a ${}^{220}$Rn source for low-energy electronic recoil calibration of the XENONnT detector
• Search for Solar Boosted Dark Matter Particles at the PandaX-4T Experiment
• The half-life of ${}^{212}$Po
• A flexible test facility for liquid xenon detector development
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