Focused Physics Program: April 6-10, 2026 (Nuclear and Atomic Physics in Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics), Tsung-Dao Lee Institute.
Open Meeting: April 10-12, 2026, Huangshan Institute, Huangshan ("Yellow Mountain"). Transportation between Shanghai and Huangshan will be arranged.
We will hold the 2nd International Open Meeting for PandaX-xT during the week of April 6, 2026. PandaX (Particle and Astrophysical Xenon project, https://pandax.sjtu.edu.cn/) is an experimental program that employs a series of xenon detectors to search for elusive dark matter particles and to study the fundamental properties of neutrinos. Up to now, the collaboration has constructed and operated three generations of experiments, PandaX-I, PandaX-II, and PandaX-4T, with active target masses of 120 kg, 580 kg, and 3.7 tonnes, respectively, producing many results at the forefront of dark matter search and neutrino studies.
The PandaX collaboration is actively preparing for the next phase, PandaX-xT, a multi-ten-tonne liquid xenon, ultra-low background, and general-purpose observatory. The full-scaled PandaX-xT contains a 43-t liquid xenon active target, opening new windows of discovery in dark matter, Majorana neutrinos, low-energy astrophysical neutrinos, and other ultra-rare interactions. PandaX-xT may seek further upgrades utilizing isotopic separation of natural xenon. The published conceptual design of PandaX-xT can be found at https://arxiv.org/pdf/2402.03596. We plan to develop the experiment in stages, with the 20T stage starting in 2027.
At this meeting, we will introduce the current experimental design of PandaX-xT and the status of the development of various subsystems including:
- Experimental hall infrastructure
- Outer veto detector
- Inner veto detector
- Low background Cryostat
- Time Projection Chamber
- Photosensors, Cold PCBs, and Cabling
- Readout electronics
- Data-acquisition and Online System
- Liquid xenon storage and transfer
- Cryogenics and Re-circulation
- Distillation System
- Calibration System
- Slow Control and Offline Computing
We openly invite experts around the globe to share insights on the scientific opportunities enabled by such an observatory, as well as technical challenges. We also warmly invite international collaborators. Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts for talks to present their interests and potential contributions on topics related to PandaX-xT. Prior registration will be required to participate.
To enhance the scientific productivity, a focused week-long event will be held at the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute on April 6-10, centering on Nuclear and Atomic Physics in Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics, driven by the scientific needs of PandaX-xT. The event aims to bring together theorists and experimentalists for collaborative discussions on “what signals can be searched for” and “what theoretical calculations are urgently needed, feasible, or already completed.” The format will feature seminar-style, informal talks designed to foster in-depth interactions.
The program may be extended into the following week if needed. If you are interested in a longer visit, please inform the organizers.
Organization committee:
Yifan Chen, Shaofeng Ge, Ke Han, Jianglai Liu, Yifei Liu (co-chair), Ning Zhou, SJTU
Qing Lin, USTC (co-chair)
