A 52mm cubic scintillating fiber camera with 75mmΦ gated-image intensifier as a dosimeter in space

摘要

The scintillating fiber camera is a type of three-dimensional track detector. Using this camera, we can observe the scintillation track produced along the path of a charged particle, and from its scintillation yield can determine the linear energy transfer (LET) distribution of the charged particle. Such observations are also possible for recoil (charged) particles produced by fast neutrons. From these data, we can estimate the LET distribution of individual charged particles or that of recoil particles produced by neutrons; and finally, we can estimate the dose equivalent due to charged particles and/or fast neutrons. For use as a dosimeter for fast neutrons produced by the interaction between cosmic-ray particles and wall materials of a manned spaceship in space, a 52 mm cubic scintillating fiber camera with a 75 mmΦ gated-image intensifier with a maximum counting rate of 30 Hz was constructed. The dosimeter consists of a stack of scintillation fibers with a sensitive volume of 52 mm *52 mm *52 mm and a 75 mm diameter image intensifier for readout from the scintillation fibers. The scintillation yields were measured for high-energy heavy ions such as carbon and argon ions. An energy resolution of 12% full-width half-maximum (FWHM) was obtained for penetrated argon ions of 650 MeV/n. These results demonstrate that this type detector is very useful as a dosimeter for high-energy cosmic rays and their secondary neutrons.