No Arabic abstract
The CRESST experiment monitors 300g CaWO_4 crystals as targets for particle interactions in an ultra low background environment. In this paper, we analyze the background spectra that are recorded by three detectors over many weeks of data taking. Understanding these spectra is mandatory if one wants to further reduce the background level, and allows us to cross-check the calibration of the detectors. We identify a variety of sources, such as intrinsic contaminations due to primordial radioisotopes and cosmogenic activation of the target material. In particular, we detect a 3.6keV X-ray line from the decay of 41-Ca with an activity of (26pm4)mu Bq, corresponding to a ratio 41-Ca/40-Ca=(2.2pm0.3)times10^{-16}.
CRESST-II, standing for Cryogenic Rare Events Search with Superconducting Thermometers phase II, is an experiment searching for Dark Matter. In the LNGS facility in Gran Sasso, Italy, a cryogenic detector setup is operated in order to detect WIMPs by elastic scattering off nuclei, generating phononic lattice excitations and scintillation light. The thermometers used in the experiment consist of a tungsten thin-film structure evaporated onto the CaWO4 absorber crystal. The process of evaporation causes a decrease in the scintillation light output. This, together with the need of a big-scale detector production for the upcoming EURECA experiment lead to investigations for producing thermometers on smaller crystals which are glued onto the absorber crystal. In our Run 31 we tested composite detectors for the first time in the Gran Sasso setup. They seem to produce higher light yields as hoped and could provide an additional time based discrimination mechanism for low light yield clamp events.
The CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) dark matter search experiment aims for the detection of dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in $mathrm{CaWO_4}$ crystals. To understand the CRESST electromagnetic background due to the bulk contamination in the employed materials, a model based on Monte Carlo simulations was developed using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The results of the simulation are applied to the TUM40 detector module of CRESST-II phase 2. We are able to explain up to $(68 pm 16),mathrm{%}$ of the electromagnetic background in the energy range between $1,mathrm{keV}$ and $40,mathrm{keV}$.
In recent years the number of CubeSats (U-class spacecrafts) launched into space has increased exponentially marking the dawn of the nanosatellite technology. In general these satellites have a much smaller mass budget compared to conventional scientific satellites which limits shielding of scientific instruments against direct and indirect radiation in space. In this paper we present a simulation framework to quantify the signal in large field-of-view gamma-ray scintillation detectors of satellites induced by X-ray/gamma-ray transients, by taking into account the response of the detector. Furthermore, we quantify the signal induced by X-ray and particle background sources at a Low-Earth Orbit outside South Atlantic Anomaly and polar regions. Finally, we calculate the signal-to-noise ratio taking into account different energy threshold levels. Our simulation can be used to optimize material composition and predict detectability of various astrophysical sources by CubeSats. We apply the developed simulation to a satellite belonging to a planned CAMELOT CubeSat constellation. This project mainly aims to detect short and long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and as a secondary science objective, to detect soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). The simulation includes a detailed computer-aided design (CAD) model of the satellite to take into account the interaction of particles with the material of the satellite as accurately as possible. Results of our simulations predict that CubeSats can complement the large space observatories in high-energy astrophysics for observations of GRBs, SGRs and TGFs. For the detectors planned to be on board of the CAMELOT CubeSats the simulations show that detections with signal-to-noise ratio of at least 9 for median GRB and SGR fluxes are achievable.
The detection of photons above 10 keV through MeV and GeV energies is challenging due to the penetrating nature of the radiation, which can require large detector volumes, resulting in correspondingly high background. In this energy range, most detectors in space are either scintillators or solid-state detectors. The choice of detector technology depends on the energy range of interest, expected levels of signal and background, required energy and spatial resolution, particle environment on orbit, and other factors. This section covers the materials and configurations commonly used from 10 keV to > 1 GeV.
Electron tracking based Compton imaging is a key technique to improve the sensitivity of Compton cameras by measuring the initial direction of recoiled electrons. To realize this technique in semiconductor Compton cameras, we propose a new detector concept, Si-CMOS hybrid detector. It is a Si detector bump-bonded to a CMOS readout integrated circuit to obtain electron trajectory images. To acquire the energy and the event timing, signals from N-side are also read out in this concept. By using an ASIC for the N-side readout, the timing resolution of few us is achieved. In this paper, we present the results of two prototypes with 20 um pitch pixels. The images of the recoiled electron trajectories are obtained with them successfully. The energy resolutions (FWHM) are 4.1 keV (CMOS) and 1.4 keV (N-side) at 59.5 keV. In addition, we confirmed that the initial direction of the electron is determined using the reconstruction algorithm based on the graph theory approach. These results show that Si-CMOS hybrid detectors can be used for electron tracking based Compton imaging.