Development of the cadmium zinc TElluride Radiation Imager (TERI)

TL;DR

TERI is a space-qualified, pixelated cadmium zinc telluride detector designed for gamma-ray imaging and radiation damage assessment in space, with potential applications in astrophysics and radiation monitoring.

Contribution

This paper introduces TERI, a novel large-volume CZT detector system with advanced imaging capabilities and space qualification for gamma-ray detection and radiation damage studies.

Findings

Successful design of a large-volume pixelated CZT detector

Achieves high energy resolution of 1.3% at 662 keV

Ready for deployment on the ISS in early 2025

Abstract

The cadmium zinc TElluride Radiation Imager, or TERI, is an instrument to space qualify large-volume $4 \times 4 \times 1.5 \ \mathrm{cm}^3$ pixelated CdZnTe (CZT) detector technology. The CZT's anode is composed of a $22 \times 22$ array of pixels while the cathode is planar. TERI will contain four of those crystals with each pixel having an energy range of $40 \ \mathrm{keV}$ up to $3 \ \mathrm{MeV}$ with a resolution of $1.3 \%$ full-width-at-half maximum at $662 \ \mathrm{keV}$ all while operating in room temperature. As the detectors are 3D position sensitive, TERI can Compton image events. TERI is fitted with a coded-aperture mask which permits imaging low energy photons in the photoelectric regime. TERI's primary mission is to space-qualify large-volume CZT and measure its degradation due to radiation damage in a space environment. Its secondary mission includes detecting and localizing astrophysical gamma-ray transients. TERI is manifested on DoD's STP-H10 mission for launch to the International Space Station in early 2025.