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Performance of the fiber tracker of the Zirè detector onboard NUSES satellite
Original title: Performance of the fiber tracker of the Zirè detector onboard NUSES satellite
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This paper isn't actually about human health or microplastics—it's about space technology. Researchers are building and testing a new type of particle detector for a satellite (NUSES) that will study cosmic radiation, using plastic fibers and tiny light sensors instead of traditional silicon-based detectors. This matters for space science because it could lead to lighter, more efficient tools for studying radiation in space, which indirectly helps us understand risks to astronauts and equipment from cosmic rays—but it has no direct connection to microplastics or everyday consumer health.
Abstract Plastic scintillating fiber trackers read out by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are a promising alternative to silicon trackers for space experiments. This technology combines the compactness and low power consumption of SiPMs with the low material budget of plastic scintillators. NUSES is a satellite mission, currently under construction, aiming to test innovative observational and technological approaches to study cosmic radiation. The Zirè payload on board NUSES will be equipped with three XY fiber tracker modules (FTK), designed for effective tracking of cosmic rays below a few hundred MeV. In addition, the FTK will be able to trigger events from charged particles. In this contribution, the design of the Zirè FTK and aspects of its performance will be presented, with studies in dedicated beam test campaigns at CERN PS accelerator facility. The effects of the radiation environment on the SiPM arrays and its impact on the operation of the FTK in space will also be discussed.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.