Simbol-X background simulation activities

TL;DR

This paper presents a Monte Carlo simulation using Geant4 to optimize the design of the Simbol-X detector by estimating background contributions from cosmic X-rays, protons, and induced radioactivity.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation framework for the Simbol-X mission to evaluate background sources and optimize instrument design before and during the mission.

Findings

Estimated background count rates for low and high energy detectors

Assessment of cosmic proton and X-ray background contributions

Analysis of induced radioactivity and soft proton effects

Abstract

Using the Geant4 toolkit, a Monte-Carlo code to simulate the detector background of the Simbol-X focal plane instrument has been developed with the aim to optimize the design of the instrument. Structural design models of the mirror and detector satellites have been built and used as baseline for our simulations, to evaluate the different background contributions that must be taken into account to determine the sensitivity of the Simbol-X detectors. We work towards a simulation based background and mass model which can be used before and during the mission. For different material compositions, material thicknesses, locations etc. the response of the instrument to the diffuse cosmic hard X-ray background and to the cosmic proton induced background have been calculated. As a result we present estimates of the background count rate expected in the low and high energy detector, and anti-coincidence rates. The effect of induced radioactivity in the detector and shielding materials and soft proton scattering in the mirror shells are also under study.