Effects of Proton Irradiation on the Performance of Skipper CCDs

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Roach, Brandon, Vergara, Brenda A. Cervantes, Perez, Santiago, Drlica-Wagner, Alex, Estrada, Juan, Bakshi, Abhishek
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Roach, Brandon
Vergara, Brenda A. Cervantes
Perez, Santiago
Drlica-Wagner, Alex
Estrada, Juan
Bakshi, Abhishek
author_facet Roach, Brandon
Vergara, Brenda A. Cervantes
Perez, Santiago
Drlica-Wagner, Alex
Estrada, Juan
Bakshi, Abhishek
contents Skipper CCDs are a mature detector technology that has been suggested for future space telescope instruments requiring sub-electron readout noise in the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. While modern skipper CCDs inherit from the radiation-tolerant p-channel detectors developed by LBNL, the effects of high doses of ionizing radiation on skipper CCDs (such as those expected in space) remains largely unmeasured. We report preliminary results on the performance of p-channel skipper CCDs following irradiation with 217-MeV protons at the Northwestern Medicine Proton Center. The total nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) experienced by the detectors exceeds 6 years at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). We demonstrate that the skipper amplifier continues to function as expected following this irradiation. Owing to the low readout noise of these detectors, controlled irradiation tests can be used to sensitively characterize the charge transfer inefficiency, dark current, and the density and time constants of charge traps as a function of proton fluence. We conclude with a brief outlook toward future tests of these detectors at other proton and gamma-ray facilities.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_12949
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effects of Proton Irradiation on the Performance of Skipper CCDs
Roach, Brandon
Vergara, Brenda A. Cervantes
Perez, Santiago
Drlica-Wagner, Alex
Estrada, Juan
Bakshi, Abhishek
Instrumentation and Detectors
Skipper CCDs are a mature detector technology that has been suggested for future space telescope instruments requiring sub-electron readout noise in the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. While modern skipper CCDs inherit from the radiation-tolerant p-channel detectors developed by LBNL, the effects of high doses of ionizing radiation on skipper CCDs (such as those expected in space) remains largely unmeasured. We report preliminary results on the performance of p-channel skipper CCDs following irradiation with 217-MeV protons at the Northwestern Medicine Proton Center. The total nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) experienced by the detectors exceeds 6 years at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). We demonstrate that the skipper amplifier continues to function as expected following this irradiation. Owing to the low readout noise of these detectors, controlled irradiation tests can be used to sensitively characterize the charge transfer inefficiency, dark current, and the density and time constants of charge traps as a function of proton fluence. We conclude with a brief outlook toward future tests of these detectors at other proton and gamma-ray facilities.
title Effects of Proton Irradiation on the Performance of Skipper CCDs
topic Instrumentation and Detectors
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12949