Radiation-induced changes in the solid state detector performance for the Mercury atmospheric and surface composition spectrometer (MASCS)

Abstract

Two Hamamatsu photodiode array detectors of the type that will be flown in the MASCS instrument on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury were subjected to proton radiation to verify survival in the mission radiation environment and quantify expected levels of radiation-induced degradation of the dark field response during the mission. These same detector types were also evaluated for susceptibility to latch-up due to ionizing radiation.