The Highly Miniaturised Radiation Monitor

Abstract

We present the design and preliminary calibration results of a novel highly miniaturised particle radiation monitor (HMRM) for spacecraft use. The HMRM device comprises a telescopic configuration of active pixel sensors enclosed in a titanium shield, with an estimated total mass of 52 g and volume of 15 cm 3 . The monitor is intended to provide real-time dosimetry and identification of energetic charged particles in fluxes of up to 10 8 cm −2 s −1 (omnidirectional). Achieving this capability with such a small instrument could open new prospects for radiation detection in space.

First results from the LUCID-Timepix spacecraft payload onboard the TechDemoSat-1 satellite in Low Earth Orbit

“…The project started in 2008, and was developed as a collaboration between Langton Star Centre secondary school student researchers, the Medipix Collaboration, and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), who built both LUCID and TDS-1. LUCID is part of the TDS-1 Space Environment Suite, which consists of the Miniature Radiation Environment and effects Monitor (MuREM, Taylor et al, 2012, Underwood et al, 2016, the Charged Particle Spectrometer (ChaPS, Kataria et al, 2013) and the Highly Miniaturized Radiation Monitor (HMRM, Mitchell et al, 2014, Guerrini et al, 2013. TDS-1 launched on 8 July 2014 (15:58:28 UTC) on a Soyuz-2-1b launch vehicle with Fregat-M upper stage from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, into a 635 km, 98.4 • Sun-synchronous orbit.…”

The LUCID-Timepix spacecraft payload and the CERN@school educational programme

“…Much of the subsequent operations, data management and analysis were led by secondary school researchers through the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS), with support from SSTL and the Medipix collaboration1. LUCID is part of the TDS-1 Space Environment Suite, which consists of the Miniature Radiation Environment and effects Monitor (MuREM, [16,17]), the Charged Particle Spectrometer (ChaPS, [18]) and the Highly Miniaturized Radiation Monitor (HMRM, [19,20] LUCID began data collection shortly after launch, and data collection ceased on the 4th July 2017. TDS-1 operations have now ended, and at some point in the medium-term it will be deorbited by the Icarus-1 Cranfield Drag Augmentation System de-orbiter [21] which will over the next 25 years guide the spacecraft into the Earth's atmosphere, where it will disintegrate.…”

“…The project started in 2008, and was developed as a collaboration between Langton Star Centre secondary school student researchers, the Medipix Collaboration, and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), who built both LUCID and TDS-1. Much of the subsequent operations, data management and analysis were led by secondary school researchers through the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS), with support from SSTL and the Medipix collaboration.1 LUCID is part of the TDS-1 Space Environment Suite, which consists of the Miniature Radiation Environment and effects Monitor (MuREM, [16,17]), the Charged Particle Spectrometer (ChaPS, [18]) and the Highly Miniaturized Radiation Monitor (HMRM, [19,20]). TDS-1 launched on 8 July 2014 (15:58:28 UTC) on a Soyuz-2-1b launch vehicle with Fregat-M upper stage from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, into a 635 km, 98.4 • Sun-synchronous orbit.…”

Technology Needs for Modular Pixel Detectors

“…It seems almost natural that, recently, a novel radiation monitor, a compact instrument named a highly miniaturized radiation monitor, has been developed [90][91][92] and launched into space [93]. It seems almost natural that, recently, a novel radiation monitor, a compact instrument named a highly miniaturized radiation monitor, has been developed [90][91][92] and launched into space [93].…”