Table 101: Summary of possible radiation-induced background effects as a function of instrument technology

(Part 1 of 3)

Comments

Induced radioactivity remains important after exiting intense proton regimes or following solar particle events

 

 

Radiation sources

Protons & heavier nuclei

Electrons

Gammas

 

Secondary neutron-emission from spacecraft / nearby planetary atmosphere

 

Protons & heavier nuclei

Protons & heavier nuclei

Electrons

Gammas

 

Secondary neutron-emission from spacecraft / nearby planetary atmosphere

 

Protons & heavier nuclei

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secondary gamma emission from spacecraft / nearby planetary atmosphere

Effect

Direct ionisation

 

 

 

Ionisation from neutron-nuclear elastic and inelastic interactions

 

 

Induced radioactivity

Direct ionisation events below the veto threshold

 

 

Ionisation from neutron-nuclear elastic and inelastic interactions

 

 

Induced radioactivity

As above +

induced radioactivity from events in active collimator which are too low to trigger collimator but do affect primary detector

 

Gamma-ray leakage through collimator

Example
System

 

 

CGRO/OSSE, INTEGRAL /SPI

Instrument /
technology type

Semiconductor / scintillator No anti-coincidence (veto) shield

Semiconductor / scintillator with anti-coincidence (veto shield)

Semiconductor / scintillator with active collimation

Application

g-ray detection