Single Wall Nanotube Based Sensor for Particle Sensing in the Space Environment

This proposed Phase II effort will exploit the novel response of single wall nanotubes to energetic particles for the development of nanotube-based detectors for photons and charged particles ranging from ~2.5 eV (optical) to ~2.5 MeV (gamma rays). Discrimination will be achieved by using filters in front of the detectors and/or pulse height discrimination. Nanotubes with varying electrical properties will be used to make different microelectronic structures which will be exposed to different classes of energetic particles to find the optimum configurations for detection in specific situations. The detectors developed in this program will be based on nanotubes ropes with varying lengths and nanotube/polymer composites. Both the detector configuration and the substrates will be chosen so as to support the device’s ability to obtain clear responses to radiation. The nanotube density in the detector devices will be varied to tailor the counting response in individual substrates on the order of 1 to 2 in. diameter for a wide range of flux levels. In this manner, an array of small masked nanotube detector elements will be developed to detect a wide range of particle types and fluxes in a compact, lightweight package. (P-040231)