A stratospheric and satellite CubeSat format probe for detecting relativistic runaway electron avalanches

Abstract

In planetary atmospheres, runaway electron avalanches could happen due to large scale electric fields, which accelerate electrons to energies about 0,1 – 10 MeV. This phenomenon is not fully understood. Nowadays, most of the satellite data is obtained on low orbits. However, runaway breakdown can also occur at altitudes less than 30 km. In this case, most of the radiation is scattered without reaching the satellites on high orbits. The formation of charged particles in the atmosphere can affect the results of numerous experiments. Therefore, it is important to have the most proper model of this phenomenon. Project goal is to create a stratospheric CubeSat format probe capable of detecting these events at an altitude of about 30 km and above. The purpose of the experiment is to observe changes in the fluxes of both high-energy electrons and radiation, as well as an analysis of possible correlations of the measured parameters. We developed a concept of the probe and created a detector prototype, consisting of a thick polystyrene scintillation counter wrapped in mylar and two SiPM SensL MicroSB-30035-X13 readout.