On-ground calibration of the X-ray, gamma-ray, and relativistic electron detector onboard TARANIS

TL;DR

This paper details the development, calibration, and validation of the XGRE detector onboard TARANIS, enabling high-energy phenomena investigation related to lightning with verified energy ranges and response simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a new onboard detector with calibrated sensors and validated simulation models for high-energy atmospheric phenomena research.

Findings

Energy range of 0.04-11.6 MeV for X-ray/gamma-ray detection

Energy resolution at 0.662 MeV was approximately 20-29%

Validated Monte Carlo simulation model for detector response and effective area

Abstract

We developed the X-ray, Gamma-ray and Relativistic Electron detector (XGRE) onboard the TARANIS satellite, to investigate high-energy phenomena associated with lightning discharges such as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and terrestrial electron beams. XGRE consisted of three sensors. Each sensor has one layer of LaBr$_{3}$ crystals for X-ray/gamma-ray detections, and two layers of plastic scintillators for electron and charged-particle discrimination. Since 2018, the flight model of XGRE was developed, and validation and calibration tests, such as a thermal cycle test and a calibration test with the sensors onboard the satellite were performed before the launch of TARANIS on 17 November 2020. The energy range of the LaBr$_{3}$ crystals sensitive to X-rays and gamma rays was determined to be 0.04-11.6 MeV, 0.08-11.0 MeV, and 0.08-11.3 MeV for XGRE1, 2, and 3, respectively. The energy resolution at 0.662 MeV (full width at half maximum) was to be 20.5%, 25.9%, and 28.6%, respectively. Results from the calibration test were then used to validate a simulation model of XGRE and TARANIS. By performing Monte Carlo simulations with the verified model, we calculated effective areas of XGRE to X-rays, gamma rays, electrons, and detector responses to incident photons and electrons coming from various elevation and azimuth angles.