LISA PathFinder radiation monitor proton irradiation test results

Abstract

The design of the Radiation Monitor in the LISA Technology Package on board LISA Pathnder is based on two silicon PIN diodes, placed parallel to each other in a telescopic configuration. One of them is able to record spectral information of the particle hitting the diode. A test campaign for the flight model Radiation Monitor was done in the Paul Scherrer Institute Proton Irradiation Facility in September 2010. Its purpose was to check correct functionality of the Radiation Monitor under real high energy proton fluxes. Here we present the results of the experiments done and their assessment by means of a simulated flight model geometry using GEANT4 toolkit. No deviation from nominal RM performance was detected, which means the instrument is fully ready for flight.