Characterization of a CdZnTe detector for a low-power CubeSat application
arXiv:2204.00475 · doi:10.1088/1748-0221/17/08/P08004
Abstract
We report spectral and imaging performance of a pixelated CdZnTe detector custom designed for the \emph{MeVCube} project: a small Compton telescope on a CubeSat platform. \emph{MeVCube} is expected to cover the energy range between and , with performance comparable to the last generation of larger satellites. In order to achieve this goal, an energy resolution of few percent in full width at half maximum (FWHM) and a -D spatial resolution of few millimeters for the individual detectors are needed. The severe power constraints present in small satellites require very low power read-out electronics for the detector. Our read-out is based on the VATA450.3 ASIC developed by \emph{Ideas}, with a power consumption of only , which exhibits good performance in terms of dynamic range, noise and linearity. A CdZnTe detector, with a custom pixel anode structure read-out by a VATA450.3 ASIC, has been tested. A preliminary read-out system for the cathode, based on a discrete \emph{Amptek} A250F charge sensitive pre-amplifier and a DRS4 ASIC, has been implemented. An energy resolution around FWHM has been measured at a gamma energy of ; at the average energy resolution is , decreasing to at energies above . A -D spatial resolution of is achieved.
Accpted for publication in JINST