Effects of High-Energy Ionizing Particles on the Si:As Mid-Infrared Detector Array on Board the AKARI Satellite

We evaluate the effects of high-energy ionizing particles on the Si:As impurity band conduction (IBC) mid-infrared detector on board AKARI, the Japanese infrared astronomical satellite. IBC-type detectors are known to be little influenced by ionizing radiation. However, we find that the detector is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2011-05, Vol.123 (903), p.561-567
Main Authors: MOURI, A, KANEDA, H, ISHIHARA, D, OYABU, S, YAMAGISHI, M, MORI, T, ONAKA, T, WADA, T, KATAZA, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
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Summary:We evaluate the effects of high-energy ionizing particles on the Si:As impurity band conduction (IBC) mid-infrared detector on board AKARI, the Japanese infrared astronomical satellite. IBC-type detectors are known to be little influenced by ionizing radiation. However, we find that the detector is significantly affected by in-orbit ionizing radiation even after spikes induced by ionizing particles are removed. The effects are described as changes mostly in the offset of detector output, but not in the gain. We conclude that the changes in the offset are caused mainly by increase in dark current. We establish a method to correct these ionizing radiation effects. The method is essential to improve the quality and to increase the sky coverage of the AKARI mid-infrared all-sky-survey map.
ISSN:0004-6280
1538-3873
DOI:10.1086/659865