Low temperature testing and neutron irradiation of a swept charge device on board the HXMT satellite

We present the low temperature testing of an SCD detector, investigating its performance such as readout noise, energy resolution at 5.9 keV and dark current. The SCD's performance is closely related to temperature, and the temperature range of -80 ℃ to -50 ℃ is the best choice, where the FWHM at 5.9 keV is about 130 eV. The influence of the neutron irradiation from an electrostatic accelerator with fluence up to 1×10⁹ cm^-2 has been examined. We find the SCD is not vulnerable to neutron irradiation. The detailed operations of the SCD and the test results of low temperature are reported, and the results of neutron irradiation are discussed.     

星载数据管理系统的共模故障分析方法

数据管理系统是低能X射线望远镜进行数据传输和数据处理的关键电路模块,为提高可靠性采用冷贮备冗余设计,但冗余设计会引入由共模故障引起的失效。因此,结合空间应用的环境,在对低能X射线望远镜的数据管理系统的故障树分析的基础上,对其进行共模故障方法的研究。首先,针对数据管理系统进行传统故障树的构建;其次,确定数据管理系统的共模故障分析对象,分析共模故障产生的原因及机理;再次,对数据管理系统进行共模故障定量分析;最后,通过对比考虑共模故障和未考虑共模故障的定量结果,提出改进设计措施。通过对数据管理系统进行共模故障定性和定量分析,找出引起发生共模故障的主要原因,并提出改进措施,提高了星载数据管理系统的可靠性。     

CCD探测器的数字读出技术

探测器的读出噪声是表征其性能的一个重要参数,它不仅限制了探测器的能量分辨,还影响探测器系统的动态范围。传统的CCD探测器信号读出部分都采用由模拟器件构成的相关双采样（Correlated Double Sampling,简称CDS）电路,这种方法已被证实能够有效抑制探测器噪声,但与此同时,由于CDS电路本身比较复杂,引入了新的噪声,它成为进一步减小读出噪声的一个屏障。为了消除模拟电路本身的噪声屏障,作者采用了一种基于高速ADC和FPGA的直接数字化读出方法,去除CDS电路,简化信号路径,由FPGA控制高速ADC对CCD探测器输出信号的参考电平和信号电平进行多次采样,用数值计算方法实现CDS功能,提高了信噪比,改善了探测器的性能。     

Measurements of charge transfer ef f iciency in a proton-irradiated swept charge device

Charged Coupled Devices(CCDs) have been successfully used in several low energy X-ray astronomical satellites over the past two decades. Their high energy resolution and high spatial resolution make them a perfect tool for low energy astronomy, such as observing the formation of galaxy clusters and the environment around black holes. The Low Energy X-ray Telescope(LE) group is developing a Swept Charge Device(SCD) for the Hard Xray Modulation Telescope(HXMT) satellite. A SCD is a special low energy X-ray CCD, which can be read out a thousand times faster than traditional CCDs, simultaneously keeping excellent energy resolution. A test method for measuring the charge transfer efficiency(CTE) of a prototype SCD has been set up. Studies of the charge transfer inefficiency(CTI) with a proton-irradiated SCD have been performed at a range of operating temperatures. The SCD is irradiated by 3×108cm-210 MeV protons.     

Design and optimization of the readout system for X-ray CCDs

A readout system for X-ray CCDs based on an improved architecture is presented; by optimizing several critical circuit blocks along the analog signal chain, the conflict between the readout speed and readout noise is greatly alleviated. Using CCD47-10 as its target CCD, the readout system has achieved 8.6e^- readout noise and 142 eV FWHM at 5.9 keV Mn m K_α under a pixel rate of 80 kHz. Also its performance of imaging has been investigated.     

硬X射线调制望远镜卫星及其科学目标

正硬X射线调制望远镜(The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope,简称:HXMT)是我国自主研制的第一颗X射线天文卫星,承载有高能X射线望远镜(20~250ke V,5000 cm2)、中能X射线望远镜(5~30ke V,952 cm2)、低能X射线望远镜(1~15ke V,384 cm2)以及空间环境监测器。HXMT具有扫描观测和定点观测两种工作模式,扫描观测可以进行宽波段大天区X射线巡天成像,定点观测可以研究黑洞、中子星等高能天体的多波段X射线快速光变,HXMT还可以监视天空的高能爆发现象。通过HXMT     

L3宇宙线实验触发系统和触发效率的测量

介绍了在欧洲核子研究中心(CERN)的L3探测器上进行的宇宙线实验的触发系统判选过程,还介绍了使用蒙特卡洛模拟检验触发系统和计算触发效率的方法,并给出了实际数据的测量结果和误差.结果已用于L3宇宙线实验的μ谱的测量中.     

Proton irradiation effect on SCDs

The Low Energy X-ray Telescope is one of the main payloads on the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope satellite.Swept charge devices(SCDs)are selected as detectors for the Low Energy X-ray Telescope.As SCDs are sensitive to proton irradiation,irradiation tests were carried out on the HI-13 accelerator at the China Institute of Atomic Energy.The beam energy was measured to be 10 MeV at the SCD.The proton fluence delivered to the SCD was 3×108protons/cm2over two hours.By comparing the performance before and after irradiation,it is concluded that proton irradiation affects both the dark current and the charge transfer inefficiency of the SCD.The energy resolution of the proton-irradiated SCD is 212 eV@5.9 keV at-60?C,while it before irradiated is 134 eV.Moreover,better performance can be reached by lowering the operating temperature of the SCD in orbit.     

A digital CDS technique and its performance testing

Readout noise is a critical parameter for characterizing the performance of charge-coupled devices (CCDs), which can be greatly reduced by the correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit. However, a conventional CDS circuit inevitably introduces new noise since it consists of several active analog components such as operational amplifiers. This paper proposes a digital CDS circuit technique, which transforms the pre-amplified CCD signal into a train of digital presentations by a high-speed data acquisition card directly without the noisy CDS circuit, then implements the digital CDS algorithm through a numerical method. A readout noise of 3.3 e^- and an energy resolution of 121 eV@5.9 keV can be achieved via the digital CDS technique.     

Thermal analysis and expected performance of the low energy instrument on board the HXMT satellite

The Low Energy X-ray Instrument （LE） of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope （HXMT） uses the Swept Charge Device （SCD） to detect the X-rays in 1-15 keV. The performance of SCD is vulnerable to temperature. We analyzed the thermal condition of LE at different satellite working attitudes with the Finite Element Method （FEM）. It is shown that the angle between the sunlight and the normal line of the barrier should be less them 26°, to keep the SCD detectors working in the required temperature range, i.e. -40 ℃ to -80 ℃. We find that the performance of LE is very stable in this temperature range, with a typical energy resolution of 160 eV at 5.9 keV.