Photon detection is a central element of any high-energy astronomy instrumentation. One classical setup that has
proven successful in many missions is the combination of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with scintillators, converting
incoming high-energy photons into visible light, which in turn is converted in an electrical impulse. Although being
extremely sensitive and rapid, PMTs have the drawback of being bulky, fragile, and require a high-voltage power
supply of up to several thousand volts. Recent technological advances in the development of silicon photomultipliers
(SiPM) make them a promising alternative to PMTs in essentially all their applications. We have started a RD
program to assess the possibility of using SiPMs for space-based applications in the domain of high-energy astronomy.
We will present results of our characterization studies of SiPMs from 3 manufacturers. Each SiPM detector has been
tested inside a dedicated vacuum chamber and at low temperature to assess its performance in a representative space
environment. Irradiation tests are scheduled to understand the susceptibility of SiPM to radiation damage. After
comparison, we will select a baseline detector and design a specific front-end electronics and mechanical system.
Furthermore, we plan to develop a low noise voltage power supply that ensures the stability of the SiPMs and to study
their coupling to scintillators. Finally, our ultimate goal is to qualify the system for a space Technical Readiness Level
of 5.
ECLAIRs, a 2-D coded-mask imaging camera on-board the Sino-French SVOM space mission, will detect and locate gamma-ray bursts in near real time in the 4 - 150 keV energy band in a large field of view. The design of ECLAIRs has been driven by the objective to reach an unprecedented low-energy threshold of 4 keV. The detection plane is an assembly of 6400 Schottky CdTe detectors of size 4x4x1 mm3, biased from -200V to -500V and operated at -20°C. The low-energy threshold is achieved thanks to an innovative hybrid module composed of a thick film ceramic holding 32 CdTe detectors ("Detectors Ceramics"), associated to an HTCC ceramic housing a low-noise 32-channel ASIC ("ASIC Ceramics"). We manage the coupling between Detectors Ceramics and ASIC Ceramics in order to achieve the best performance and ensure the uniformity of the detection plane.
In this paper, we describe the complete hybrid XRDPIX, of which 50 flight models have been manufactured by the SAGEM company. Afterwards, we show test results obtained on Detectors Ceramics, on ASIC Ceramics and on the modules once assembled. Then, we compare and confront detectors leakage currents and ASIC ENC with the energy threshold values and FWHM measured on XRDPIX modules at the temperature of -20°C by using a calibrated radioactive source of 241Am. Finally, we study the homogeneity of the spectral properties of the 32-detector hybrid matrices and we conclude on general performance of more than 1000 detection channels which may reach the lowenergy threshold of 4 keV required for the future ECLAIRs space camera.
Photon detection is a central element of any high-energy astronomy instrumentation. One classical setup that has proven successful in many missions is the combination of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with scintillators, converting incoming high-energy photons into visible light, which in turn is converted in an electrical impulse. Although being extremely sensitive and rapid, PMTs have the drawback of being bulky, fragile, and are requiring a high-voltage power supply of up to several thousand volts. Recent technological advances in the development of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) make them a promising alternative to PMTs in essentially all their applications. We have started an R and D program to assess the possibility of using SiPMs for space-based applications in the domain of high-energy astronomy. We have setup a test bench using a vacuum vessel to reproduce a space-representative environment in our lab. We will present our test bench as well as first results of a characterization campaign of SiPM detectors from 3 different suppliers. We have planned to select after the characterization campaign one baseline detector for which we will design a dedicated front-end electronics and mechanical system. Furthermore, we plan to develop a specific low noise voltage power supply that ensures the stability of the SiPMs. Our ultimate goal is to qualify the system for a Technical Readiness Level of 5.
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