A compact instrument for gamma-ray burst detection on a CubeSat platform II

Abstract

The Gamma-ray Module, GMOD, is a miniaturised novel gamma-ray detector which will be the primary scientific payload on the Educational Irish Research Satellite (EIRSAT-1) 2U CubeSat mission. GMOD comprises a compact (25 mm times 25 mm times 40 mm) cerium bromide scintillator coupled to a tiled array of 4 times 4 silicon photomultipliers, with front-end readout provided by the IDE3380 SIPHRA. This paper presents the detailed GMOD design and the accommodation of the instrument within the restrictive CubeSat form factor. The electronic and mechanical interfaces are compatible with many off-the-shelf CubeSat systems and structures. The energy response of the GMOD engineering qualification model has been determined using radioactive sources, and an energy resolution of 5.4% at 662 keV has been measured. EIRSAT-1 will perform on-board processing of GMOD data. Trigger results, including light-curves and spectra, will be incorporated into the spacecraft beacon and transmitted continuously. Inexpensive hardware can be used to decode the beacon signal, making the data accessible to a wide community. GMOD will have scientific capability for the detection of gamma-ray bursts, in addition to the educational and technology demonstration goals of the EIRSAT-1 mission. The detailed design and measurements to date demonstrate the capability of GMOD in low Earth orbit, the scalability of the design for larger CubeSats and as an element of future large gamma-ray missions.