Jaromir Barylak, Oleksiy Dudnik, Tomasz Woźniczak, Volodymyr Adamenko, Ruslan Antypenko, Nikita Yezerskyi, Mirosław Kowaliński, Igor Lazarev, Agata Zielińska, Janusz Sylwester, Jarosław Bąkała, Piotr Podgórski
KEYWORDS: Satellites, Magnetosphere, Structural design, Sensors, Electrons, Particles, Monte Carlo methods, Scintillators, Analog electronics, Polishing
In recent years, interest in revealing, registering, analyzing and interpretation of the short-term (0.1-1 s) sharp increases in the number of high-energy charged particles at LEO (Low Earth Orbit) has substantially increased. This is due to the profound influence of geomagnetic disturbances on the state of the Van Allen radiation belts, one of the important components of space weather. At the same time, in recent years, principally new technologies have been rapidly developed, both in the area of detection of the elementary charged particles and in construction of space microelectronics. In particular, over the past years, nanosatellites in the CubeSat standard were developed, manufactured and launched into LEO, whose mission was to record and study the characteristics of electron microbursts precipitating from the Earth radiation belts.
Here, we present the concept of a compact instrument developed in the 1U CubeSat standard which is aimed to study the nature of high-energy charged particles microbursts present in the Earth magnetosphere. A functional diagram, a description of the structural modules and the technical characteristics of the miniaturized electron-proton recorder-analyzer MiRA_ep are shown. We have carried out and present the results of computer simulation of the physical processes caused by high-energy electron and proton passage through sensors of the detector head of the MiRA_ep device. The simulation was carried out with the Monte Carlo method using the CERN GEANT4 package. The values of most probable deposited energies were calculated for a wide range of primary electrons and proton energies. This allowed us to make a conclusion about the effective energy ranges of the proposed instrument. The results of these simulations will be used in developing analog and digital signal processing electronic units.
The radiation belts of the Earth and dynamics of high energy electron and proton fluxes in the magnetosphere in particular are still the target for intensive exploration by the scientific community. Quickly grown number of artificial Earth satellites including CubeSats around the Earth supports continuous improvement of the space weather forecast quality. As the charged space environment affects the wide aspects of human civilization life, the sustained monitoring of energized elementary particles is a current task. Different methods and sensors are developed to provide measurements of particle fluxes at the low Earth and geostationary orbits, at Lagrangian points and in the interplanetary space. Among them, there are silicon PIN, solid state, surface barrier detectors, organic and inorganic scintillation detectors, large area photodiodes, multi-pixelated silicon photomultipliers, etc. The gamma- and X-rays detectors are used rather often to study non-steady variations in magnetospheric particle fluxes because of a bremsstrahlung generation by precipitating subrelativistic electrons present in the upper layers of the atmosphere. We present specific features in constructing of the Satellite Telescope of Electrons and Protons STEP-F and the solar soft X-ray spectrophotometer SphinX that allowed for discovery of some interesting phenomena in radiation belts dynamics in 2009. Technical and scientific parameters of both instruments are demonstrated as well as approaches in respective development of sensors and electronics. We present some results of data processing like detection of three-belt structure of electron fluxes, the anisotropic character of particle motion in the outer and inner belts, lower limits of the energies for particle registration by the X-ray photometer.
The Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) is one of the Solar Orbiter instruments and will operate on heliocentric orbit with a perihelion distance of 0.3 a.u. Such close approach to the Sun is connected with severe influence of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) event. The paper presents results of simulation of expected X-ray background from SEP and cosmic X-rays (CXB) for Caliste-SO detectors, which are used in STIX. The simulation based on Monte Carlo method was implemented in Geant4 toolkit. We considered also the detector effects which affect measured energy like hole tailing, Fano and electronic noise, by implementing this effects in C++ language complementing Geant4 simulations. We show that the largest background is caused by SEPs electrons, while background from protons is negligibly low. The expected CXB caused background is low and can be detected only during periods of low solar activity.
The Rotating Drum Spectrometer (RDS) experiment is planned to be placed onboard Ruscosmos Multipurpose Laboratory Module ”NAUKA” on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019. The experiment is designed to measure X-ray spectra of Solar flares using Bragg reflection from flat crystals. Additionally to the reflection of X-ray photons crystals produce luminescent light. In order to separate those physical effects during real experiment data analysis, computer simulations are necessary. Using Geant4 toolkit we simulated particle background, which were generated by several processes: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering and Bremsstrahhlung. In this paper we present luminescent light background estimations in the RDS instrument.
The paper presents a method for determining the pixel response using Geant4 package. The response is calculated for cadmium telluride sensor of Caliste-SO detector. Caliste-SO will be used in STIX instrument on board Solar Orbiter, which is M-class mission of the ESA’s program Cosmic Vision 2015-2025. Solar Orbiter is to be launched in October 2018. STIX instrument will provide imaging spectroscopy of solar hard X-ray emissions (4 – 150 keV) using a Fourier-imaging technique. Response of pixels in pixelized Caliste-SO detector vary between each other due to different sizes and locations. This can influence the scientific data obtained from STIX. Additionally, in the simulation we considered detector effects, like: hole tailing, damage layer, Fano and electronic noise.
KEYWORDS: X-rays, Luminescence, Sensors, Solar processes, Solar radiation models, Photons, Monte Carlo methods, Polarization, Crystals, Charge-coupled devices
The Soft X-ray Solar polarimeter-spectrometer (SOLPEX) experiment is planned to be placed in Roscosmos’ Multipurpose Laboratory Module “NAUKA” on International Space Station (ISS) in 2019. The experiment is design to detect polarization and X-ray spectra of solar flares. Due to very high, few percent, linear polarization detection limit, accurate background estimation and modeling is crucial.
Calculating the background photoelectric effect, Compton scattering and Bremsstrahlung were taken into account. Luminescence background from particles produced in solar flares was simulated using Geant4. Additionally, theoretical spectra was modeled in order to simulate full SOLPEX detector response for M5 and X1 solar flare classes.
Detection of polarization and spectra measurement of X-ray solar flare emission are indispensable in improving our understanding of the processes releasing energy of these most energetic phenomena in the solar system. We shall present some details of the construction of SolpeX – an innovative Bragg soft X-ray flare polarimeter and spectrometer. The instrument is a part of KORTES – Russian instrument complex to be mounted aboard the science module to be attached to the International Space Station (2017/2018).
The SolpeX will be composed of three individual measuring units: the soft X-ray polarimeter with 1-2% linear polarization detection threshold, a fast-rotating flat crystal X-ray spectrometer with a very high time resolution (0.1 s) and a simple pinhole soft X-ray imager-spectrometer with a moderate spatial (~20 arcsec), spectral (0.5 keV) and high time resolution (0.1 s). Having a fast rotating unit to be served with power, telemetry and “intelligence” poses a challenge for the designer. Some of the solutions to this will be provided and described.
The paper presents a two methods for simulation of signal induction in the detector. First method base on carriers tracks calculation while second method include simplification of accelerating calculations. Calculation has been performed for Caliste-SO detector, which is cadmium telluride X-ray detector. This detector will be used in the Solar Orbiter/STIX instrument. Solar Orbiter is M-class mission of the ESA's programme Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, which is conducted in collaboration with NASA. It will be launched in October 2018. STIX (Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-Rays) is X-ray telescope and spectrometer and will observe solar X-ray emission from 4 to 150 keV using Fourier-imaging technique. Deep space condition can influence significantly the detector parameters. Tools for detectors behaviour analysis are needed to understand how this harsh radiation environment can influence detector quantum efficiency.
The paper presents a method for determining the Detector Response Matrix (DRM) using Monte Carlo simulations.
For this purpose Geant4 package was used which enables simulations of the interaction of particles with matter.
The DRM has been calculated for cadmium telluride sensor of Caliste-SO detector, which will be used in the Solar
Orbiter/STIX instrument. Solar Orbiter is the M-class mission of the new ESA’s program Cosmic Vision 2015-2025.
It is to be launched in July 2017. STIX will provide imaging spectroscopy of solar hard X-ray emissions from 4 keV
to 150 keV using a Fourier-imaging technique. Long operation of detectors under space condition raises a need
for development of dedicated tools for analysis of behaviour of the detectors in changing/harsh radiation environment
and its impact on detector quantum efficiency due to aging effects. Obtained results exhibit a high usefulness of Geant4
package in this kind of analysis.
Solar Orbiter mission of European Space Agency, scheduled for launch in 2017, is designed to explore the Sun and the
inner heliosphere. Its close, never achieved before by any other spacecraft, approach to the Sun as well as ten remote-sensing
and in-situ on board instruments will allow obtaining unique solar science data. The Spectrometer Telescope for
Imaging X-rays (STIX) is one of them. Its measurements of solar thermal and non-thermal hard X-ray emissions from
~4 to 150 keV will play an important role to achieve mission's major science goals. The Spacecraft Instrument Interface
Simulator (SIIS) is specified as a part of Electrical Ground Support Equipment with the aim to provide a tool for power
interface and telemetry/telecommand electrical and data protocol validation during the delivery phase of STIX
instrument for spacecraft integration. It is designed to be used during the instrument development and test phases of onboard
algorithms, too. Brief overview of SIIS use and performance for these purposes is given in this work.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Device simulation, Photons, Field programmable gate arrays, Signal detection, Solar processes, X-rays, Temperature sensors, Data modeling, Data storage
The Spectrometer Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) is one of 10 instruments on-board Solar Orbiter mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) scheduled to be launched in 2017. STIX is aimed to provide imaging spectroscopy of solar thermal and non-thermal hard X-ray emissions from 4 keV to 150 keV using a Fourier-imaging technique. The instrument employs a set of tungsten grids in front of 32 pixelized CdTe detectors. These detectors are source of data collected and analyzed in real time by Instrument Data Processing Unit (IDPU). In order to support development and implementation of on-board algorithms a dedicated detector hardware simulator is designed and manufactured as a part of Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) for STIX instrument. Complementary to the hardware simulator is data analysis software which is used to generate input data and to analyze output data. The simulator will allow sending strictly defined data from all detectors’ pixels at the input of the IDPU for further analysis of instrument response. Particular emphasis is given here to the simulator hardware design.
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