High Energy Electron Radiation Exposure Facility at PSI

Abstract

Paul Scherrer Institut hosts the Proton Irradiation Facility used for radiation effects studies and exposure tests in preparation of satellite missions for the European Space Agency. The facility al- lows for realistic simulation of the space proton spectra in the energy range from 6 MeV up to 230 MeV with exposure fluxes ranging from very low up to as high as 109 p/cm2/sec. Recently, ap- proved ESA mission to Jupiter—JUICE—also brought a need for tests with high energy electron beams. For this purpose, another facility was established in the PSI secondary beam area piM1. Secondary particles are produced on the thick carbon target hit by energetic proton beam. Dedi- cated beam optics enables selection of the particle charge and momentum and guides them to the tests area. Characterization of electron beams at various momenta was performed with respect to their intensity, profiles and contamination by pions and muons. Electron fluxes ranging from 1.5 × 103/cm2/s at 20 MeV/c to 2.3 × 106/cm2/s at 345 MeV/c with gaussian beam profiles with FWHM of about 4 cm were measured. Beam contamination with heavier particles becomes negligible for all momenta lower than 115 MeV/c. This allows for using them for components and shielding cha- racterization and detector calibration experiments. Several such experiments have been already performed utilizing available beam time of few weeks per year.