We explore the use of scintillation detectors coupled with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) as position sensitive hard x-ray spectroscopic detectors for potential applications in the field of high-energy astrophysics. X-ray photons on interaction with scintillation crystals generate optical photons and the distribution of these scintillation light photons is captured with the array of SiPM pixels, providing the spectral and spatial information of the incident x-ray photons. As the position is estimated by fitting the distribution of optical photons, it should be possible to achieve spatial resolution lesser than the pixel size. Development of two detector modules with CsI (Tl) and CeBr3 scintillators coupled with different sets of array of SiPM pixels is presented here. Spectral and spatial resolutions of both detector modules are characterized with experiments using x-ray lines from laboratory radioactive sources. It is shown that a faster scintillator with an array of low-noise SiPM pixels provides better spectral and spatial resolution and it is possible to achieve subpixel spatial resolution with such a detector module.
There is growing interest in high-energy astrophysics community for the development of sensitive instruments in the hard X-ray energy extending to few hundred keV. This requires position sensitive detector modules with high efficiency in the hard X-ray energy range. Here, we present development of a detector module, which consists of 25 mm x 25 mm CeBr3 scintillation detector, read out by a custom designed two dimensional array of Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM). Readout of common cathode of SiPMs provides the spectral measurement whereas the readout of individual SiPM anodes provides measurement of interaction position in the crystal. Preliminary results for spectral and position measurements with the detector module are presented here.
There are various astrophysical phenomena which are of great importance and interest such as stellar explosions, Gamma ray bursts etc. There is also a growing interest in exploring the celestial sources in hard X-rays. High sensitive instruments are essential to perform the detailed studies of these cosmic accelerators and explosions. Hard X-ray imaging detectors having high absorption efficiency and mm spatial resolution are the key requirements to locate the generation of these astrophysical phenomenon. We hereby present a detector module which consists of a single CsI scintillation detector of size 15 x 15 x 3 mm3. The photon readout is done using an array of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). SiPM is a new development in the field of photon detection and can be described as 2D array of small (hundreds of μm2) avalanche photodiodes. We have achieved a spatial resolution of 0.5 mm with our initial setup. By using the array of these detector modules, we can build the detector with a large sensitive area with a very high spatial resolution. This paper presents the experimental details for single detector module using CsI (Tl) scintillator and SiPM and also presents the preliminary results of energy and position measurement. The GEANT4 simulation has also been carried out for the same geometry.
One of the basic keys to understand the evolution and formation of any planet is the knowledge of the elemental composition of its surface. Gamma spectroscopy on Mars orbiter provides a unique opportunity to measure the elemental composition of its surface, with an atmosphere thin enough to allow detection of gamma rays produced from the near surface rock and soil materials. We are developing gamma ray spectrometer using High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector for future Mars orbiter mission. The scientific objective of the instrument is to map the naturally occurring radioactive elements (Th, U, and K) and other major elements (Fe, Mg, Cl, Al, Si, S, Mg, Cl) over the entire Martian surface with a spatial resolution of better than 250 km. Gamma ray spectrometer will also have Anti - Coincidence Shield (ACS) detector for background subtraction from the surrounding material. This paper gives the details of the GEANT4 simulation, carried out to study the design requirements for a gamma ray spectrometer for a future Mars orbiter mission. This includes the selection of the size of HPGe detector, selection of the detector material and thickness for the ACS detector, and attenuation of gamma rays in the Martian atmosphere. Generation of gamma rays from the Martian surface due to Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) particles' interaction has also been simulated. Preliminary results from the standard off the shelf detector are also presented here.
S. K. Goyal, M. Shanmugam, A. Patel, T. Ladiya, Neeraj Tiwari, S. Banerjee, S. Vadawale, P. Janardhan, D. Chakrabarty, A. Srinivas, P. Shukla, P. Kumar, K. P. Subramanian, B. Bapat, P. R. Adhyaru
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Particles, Solar energy, Wind energy, Solar processes, Silicon, Scintillators, Particles, Wind energy, Solar processes, Magnetic sensors, Magnetism, Electronics
Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) is one of the scientific experiments onboard the Aditya-L1 mission, the first Indian solar mission planned to be launched in the year of 2019. The primary objective of the ASPEX experiment is to carry out in-situ, multi-directional measurements of solar wind ions in the energy range of 100 eV/n to 5 MeV/n. ASPEX instrument has been configured into two subsystems: Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS). SWIS will measure the angular and energy distribution of solar wind ions in the energy range of 100 eV to 20 keV and STEPS will measure the energy spectrum of high energetic particles from six directions covering the energy range of 20 keV/n to 5 MeV/n. This paper presents the overall configuration of the STEPS subsystem with preliminary results obtained from the bread board model.
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