Development of a data acquisition system for the MALBEK Low-Background BEGe detector

The MAJORANA collaboration is currently building the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an array of natural and enriched high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the 76Ge isotope. As part of the DEMONSTRATOR research and development effort we have deployed a prototype 450 g modified broad energy germanium (BEGe) detector at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility (KURF) in Ripplemeade, VA. This detector, the MAJORANA Low-Background BEGe Detector at KURF (MAL-BEK), will examine detector performance and background in the double-beta decay region of interest as well as explore the sub-keV energy spectrum in a search for light weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). In order to achieve this goal we have implemented a modular and highly automated data acquisition system (DAQ) capable of digitizing sub-keV signals and running autonomously in an underground environment. The DAQ is built using the Object-oriented Real-time Control and Acquisition (ORCA) application. ORCA enables the remote monitoring and control of all DAQ electronics, hardware, and slow control systems. A built in scripting language, ORCAScript, allows for the automation of run-time experimental parameters, real-time event building and data filtering, and system monitoring with email notification and alarms. The implemented MALBEK DAQ is currently operating at KURF in a production data taking mode.