Modelling radiation damage to ESA's Gaia satellite CCDs

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of 3D device models for Gaia's CCDs to better understand and calibrate radiation damage effects, specifically charge transfer inefficiency, to improve the satellite's scientific data quality.

Contribution

It introduces the need for specialized 3D electron density models of Gaia's CCD pixels to enhance radiation damage calibration strategies.

Findings

First to physically model 3D electron density in Gaia CCD pixels

Highlights importance of detailed modeling for radiation damage correction

Lays groundwork for future calibration methods

Abstract

The Gaia satellite is a high-precision astrometry, photometry and spectroscopic ESA cornerstone mission, currently scheduled for launch in late 2011. Its primary science drivers are the composition, formation and evolution of the Galaxy. Gaia will achieve its scientific requirements with detailed calibration and correction for radiation damage. Microscopic models of Gaia's CCDs are being developed to simulate the charge trapping effect of radiation damage, which causes charge transfer inefficiency. The key to calculating the probability of a photoelectron being captured by a trap is the 3D electron density within each CCD pixel. However, this has not been physically modelled for Gaia CCD pixels. In this paper, the first of a series, we motivate the need for such specialised 3D device modelling and outline how its future results will fit into Gaia's overall radiation calibration strategy.