High Energy Proton Telescope

• Author / Creator

  Sadiq, Fauzia

• The Earth's magnetosphere is composed of energetic electrons and protons. It is important to verify average populations and energy distributions of these particles and quantify the
  effects of geomagnetic events on their populations and energy distributions. Abrupt changes have been observed in the energy and distribution of protons during
  magnetic storms creating a large population of very energetic (> 1 MeV) protons in the slot region of the Earth's Van Allen belts. A few attempts have been made in the past to investigate
  the sources and loss mechanism of these energetic particles. We have carried out detailed modelling of a High Energy Proton Telescope
  (HEPT) proposed as a scientific instrument for the proposed Canadian Outer Radiation Belt Injection, Transport, and Loss Satellite (ORBITALS) mission. HEPT is capable of
  measuring the energetic proton and electron distributions in the energy range of 3-120 MeV for protons and 3-20 MeV for electrons.
  The detector consists of two heads, one to cover the range of 3 to 26 MeV protons and the second to cover the range of 26 to 120 MeV protons with total view angles of $18^{o}$ and
  $36^{o}$, respectively. The detector efficiency and geometric factors were calculated numerically using the GEANT4 high energy physics modelling code. In addition, model calculations were
  carried out to compare the model instrument performance with experimental measurements carried out at the TRIUMF accelerator facility giving good agreement. The results obtained indicate that the detector design
  would be suitable for a satellite mission to study energetic particle distributions during energetic solar particle events.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • HEPT
  • Geometric Factor

• Graduation date

  Fall 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3259M

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.