Comparison of the space bubble detector response to space-like neutron spectra and high energy protons

Abstract

To compare the response to high energy neutrons and protons of the space bubble detectors in use aboard the International Space Station (ISS), three series of experiments were conducted with high energy protons and neutrons. The first series of experiments was conducted with high-energy neutrons in the energy range expected for neutrons encountered during space flight (0.6–800 MeV) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) using the spallation neutron source. The second series was conducted with high energy protons from 30 to 70 MeV using the cyclotron at the National Institute of Radiological Science NIRS in Japan, and the third series of experiments was performed with high energy protons from 60 to 230 MeV at the ProCure proton therapy facility, Oklahoma, USA. The bubble detectors were exposed to different fluences in different experiments and the number of bubbles was counted using a bubble detector reader. The proton response of the bubble detector (sensitivity), as a function of energy, was determined and compared to the neutron sensitivity. In addition, to adjust the neutron sensitivity of the bubble detector determined in an AmBe field, a calibration factor was obtained for space applications.