Heavy Ion and Proton Irradiation of Gas Electron Multipliers With Liquid Crystal Polymer Insulator: Evaluation Tests for Use in Space

作者：Iwahashi T^*; Tamagawa T; Hayato A; Nakamura S; Konami S; Asami F; Yasuda N; Kitamura H; Sakurai H; Tokanai F; Miyasaka H; Makishima K

来源：IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 2011, 58(5): 2401-2406.

DOI：10.1109/TNS.2011.2162001

• Gas electron multiplier
• GEM
• GEMS satellite
• space application
• x-ray polarimeter

Gas electronmultipliers with a liquid crystal polymer insulator (LCP-GEMs) can be employed as X-ray polarimeters in several satellite missions in low-earth orbit. To evaluate their resistance to radiation, LCP-GEMs were exposed to Fe ion and proton beams from the heavy-ion accelerator facility HIMAC, and the gas gain was monitored. The LCP-GEMs survived 14.4-year-equivalent irradiation by fully stripped Fe ions with an energy of 500 MeV nuc(-1), which simulated galactic cosmic-ray ions. We also studied the degradation of the insulator layer of the LCP-GEMs by irradiation with 160 MeV protons to simulate geomagnetically trapped protons. After irradiation with protons for 31.6 years equivalent, no significant change in gain was observed.

• 出版日期2011-10