Compact CubeSat Gamma-Ray Detector for GRID Mission

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Jia-Xing, Wen, Xu-Tao, Zheng, Jian-Dong, Yu, Yue-Peng, Che, Dong-Xin, Yang, Gao, Huai-Zhong, Yi-Fei, Jin, Xiang-Yun, Long, Yi-Hui, Liu, Da-Cheng, Xu, Yu-Chong, Zhang, Zeng, Ming, Yang, Tian, Feng, Hua, Zeng, Zhi, Ji-Rong Cang, Wu, Qiong, Zong-Qing Zhao, Bin-Bin, Zhang, Peng, An, GRID collaboration
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 07.09.2021
• Subjects: Astronomy; Cubesat; Detectors; Firmware; Gamma ray detectors; Gamma rays; Nanosatellites; Performance tests; Photomultiplier tubes; Physics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics; Scintillation counters; Sensors; Sun-synchronous orbits; Undergraduate study
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2104.14228

Gamma-Ray Integrated Detectors (GRID) mission is a student project designed to use multiple gamma-ray detectors carried by nanosatellites (CubeSats), forming a full-time all-sky gamma-ray detection network that monitors the transient gamma-ray sky in the multi-messenger astronomy era. A compact CubeSat gamma-ray detector, including its hardware and firmware, was designed and implemented for the mission. The detector employs four Gd2Al2Ga3O12 : Ce (GAGG:Ce) scintillators coupled with four silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays to achieve a high gamma-ray detection efficiency between 10 keV and 2 MeV with low power and small dimensions. The first detector designed by the undergraduate student team onboard a commercial CubeSat was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on October 29, 2018. The detector was in a normal observation state and accumulated data for approximately one month after on-orbit functional and performance tests, which were conducted in 2019.