Acquisition-analysis system for the DANCE (detector for advanced neutron capture experiments) BaF2 gamma-ray calorimeter

The DANCE detector is a segmented 4π gamma-ray calorimeter for measuring (n, γ) and (n,fission) cross-sections of stable and long-lived radioactive isotopes. DANCE uses waveform digitization to acquire the basic gamma-ray data, which maximizes the information available for event reconstruction, but has necessitated the development of several techniques for handling the resulting high data rates. This paper describes the basic experimental requirements for acquisition and analysis and how we have satisfied these requirements primarily by extending existing acquisition and analysis frameworks.