A validation payload for space and atmospheric nuclear event detection

We describe an experimental flight validation payload for detecting atmospheric and space nuclear events with a planned launch date in 2004. The five detector subsystems in the payload employ 27 sensors including Si, CdZnTe, gas proportional counter tubes, photomultiplier tubes, channel electron multipliers and photodiodes. Detection of events is based on simultaneous measurements of gamma rays, neutrons, and charged particles with wide dynamic ranges of deposited energy and count rates. The sensors and electronics are housed in one package with approximate mass and power consumption of 27 kg and 50 watts, respectively. The instrument uses sophisticated on-board digital signal processing and multi-layer triggering algorithms to detect and assess the validity of small signals in a large background radiation environment. This paper presents system configuration and preliminary test data from the first of the two units in development.