Long-term trends in radiation damage of Chandra x-ray CCDs

C. E. Grant; M. W. Bautz; S. M. Kissel; B. LaMarr; G. Y. Prigozhin

doi:10.1117/12.618123

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30 August 2005 Long-term trends in radiation damage of Chandra x-ray CCDs

C. E. Grant, M. W. Bautz, S. M. Kissel, B. LaMarr, G. Y. Prigozhin

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Proceedings Volume 5898, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XIV; 58980Q (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618123
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Soon after launch, the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), one of the focal plane instruments on the Chandra X-ray Observatory, suffered radiation damage from exposure to soft protons during passages through the Earth's radiation belts. Current operations require ACIS to be protected during radiation belt passages to prevent this type of damage, but there remains a much slower and more gradual increase. We present the history of ACIS charge transfer inefficiency (CTI), and other measures of radiation damage, from January 2000 through June 2005. The rate of CTI increase is low, of order 1e-6 per year, with no indication of step-function increases due to specific solar events. Based on the time history and CCD location of the CTI increase, we speculate on the nature of the damaging particles.

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C. E. Grant, M. W. Bautz, S. M. Kissel, B. LaMarr, and G. Y. Prigozhin "Long-term trends in radiation damage of Chandra x-ray CCDs", Proc. SPIE 5898, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XIV, 58980Q (30 August 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618123

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