The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) mission consists of a suite of instruments to explore the Gruithuisen Domes located in the northern lunar hemisphere. One of instruments to be mounted on a rover is a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer. The spectrometer uses a Li-6 enriched Cs26LiYCl6 (CLYC) scintillator to detect both gamma rays and neutrons. The design of the instrument balances mass, power and performance to obtain high-quality gamma ray spectroscopy with a 6.4-cm diameter, CLYC crystal encased in a gadolinium shell to veto thermal neutrons. To obtain a measure of the thermal neutron albedo to assess the concentration of local neutron moderating materials, a 5.0-cm diameter CLYC without a gadolinium shell is used to measure the full spectral, neutron flux. To minimize power, the system design utilizes a multi-channel configuration to provide pulse shape analysis and spectroscopy using a single, readout channel.
The operation of nuclear instruments in high-radiation environments is critical for a myriad of applications, which include intense particle beams for future science experiments, in-situ measurements for emerging and advanced nuclear fuel cycles, or operation in a diverse range of environmental and harsh radiation conditions for military applications. A common tool used to measure ionizing radiation is scintillation materials, which produce a light pulse with an intensity proportional to the energy deposited, where a photodetector is used to measure the light pulse. A photodetector sensitive enough for scintillator readout is the photomultiplier tube, yet these devices are typically bulky. Though SiPMs, formed from an array of single photon avalanche photodiodes, or Geiger photodiodes (GPD), are replacing photomultiplier tubes, they are susceptible to radiation damage. This work discusses new technologies of GPDs consisting of GaAs and AlGaAsSb for operation in intense radiation and environmental conditions.
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