1. SUNSTORM 1/X-ray Flux Monitor for CubeSats (XFM-CS) : Instrument characterization and first results
- Author
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A. Lehtolainen, J. Huovelin, S. Korpela, E. Kilpua, H. Andersson, D. Giurisato, J. Lehti, J. Saari, J. Peltonen, T. Säntti, M. Hirvonen, M. Talvioja, T. Luntama, J. Kuhno, O. Solin, Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Space Physics Research Group, and Planetary-system research
- Subjects
Nuclear and High Energy Physics ,115 Astronomy, Space science ,Instrumentation ,114 Physical sciences - Abstract
SUNSTORM 1 CubeSat was launched to Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit on August 17 2021. The primary purpose of the mission is an in-orbit demonstration of X-ray Flux Monitor (XFM) instrument. XFM is an innovative solar X-ray spectrometer for measuring and characterizing solar flares, which are known to be linked to a variety of space weather phenomena. XFM represents a next generation of solar X-ray flux monitors. It is based on silicon drift detector technology, which provides several notable performance improvements over its predecessors, which are based on Si PIN detectors. Transversal electric field and lower output capacitance allow operation at much faster pulse processing shaping times, allowing the system to achieve about 10 times higher throughput without saturation while also making it less sensitive to the increase of leakage current due to high temperature and/or radiation damage. Thus, XFM instruments can cover a very wide dynamic range of solar X-ray emission from the most quiescent conditions to the strongest X-class solar flares, while maintaining good spectral resolution (
- Published
- 2022