Dr Benjamin Dryer

Te2v-sponsored STFC CASE Studentship on the analysis of calibration data from Euclid, including trap-pumping results. For Gaia, CEI PhD student Saah Ahmed investigated the differences between pre-launch predictions of radiation damage and what happened in-orbit using simple calibration data. His findings have shown interesting correlations with device batches, as well as fine-tuned the calibration process used in the RVS instrument. A first proper investigation of radiation damage while in-orbit will help our fundamental understanding, not just for CCDs but also for future CMOS missions. For Euclid, we have access to a highly accurate and much deeper analysis technique in trap-pumping, giving the power to analyse the performance in great detail and investigate many open questions that can’t be answered from ground testing, important to all future space missions, whether CCD or CMOS: - How does a 5 minute on-ground irradiation compare to a steady rate of increase over 5 years in-orbit? - How does a NIEL scaled 200MeV dose compare to a full spectra of particle energies? - How does annealing compete with new trap production? This is very timely for an October 2024 start as we will have ~1 year of data already and more arriving as the PhD progresses (towards EOL of the mission as the student writes-up).

Design, manufacturing, packaging and testing of large format P-Channel CCDs for future space missions.

STFC Open 2018 DTP

The CEI have been working under contract to ESA (CLS-404-14) on an investigation in the performance characterisation and radiation testing of p-channel CCDs. This work is now nearing completion and ESA have indicated that they would like to fund an additional study under a contract change notification (CCN). This additional study will focus on the evolution of defects within a back illuminated p-channel and n-channel CCD204 after the devices have been irradiated, side-by-side, and for a period of time after, whilst cold annealing takes place.