1) BurstCube is a CubeSat mission that will use four CsI scintillators read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to detect gamma rays between 10 keV and 1 MeV and observe astrophysical counterparts to gravitational waves. 2) The study characterized SiPMs to qualify them for use in space missions like BurstCube by measuring their sensitivity, dark current, and pulse height in a dark box setup with an LED pulser. 3) Preliminary characterization of the SiPM's dark current and response to LED pulses was performed and the data was analyzed to understand the device's performance and background noise levels. Further optical tests and integration with scintillators is planned.

1. BurstCube: Characterization of SiPMs
Ykeshia Zamore⧾ ,Rodney Querrard⧾,David Morris ⧾,Jeremy S. Perkins✽, Judith Racusin ✽
⧾ University of the Virgin Islands, College of Applied Mathematics/Engineering, 2 John Brewers Bay, Charlotte Amalie West, St Thomas
00802, U.S. Virgin Islands
✽Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 661, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, United States
Abstract
BurstCube is a 6u CubeSat that will consist of four
CsI(Na) scintillators that detect gamma rays from 10
KeV to 1 MeV from an array of SiPMs. The first steps
towards the development of BurstCube is designing,
building, and operating a prototype detector for a
CubeSat. The instrument consists of four CsI(Na)
scintillators that detect gamma-rays from 10 keV to 1
MeV read out by an array of Silicon Photo Multipliers
(SiPMs). SiPMs are ideal due to reduced volume and
mass, low-power, and inexpensive cost. We have
started prototype development by characterizing the
SiPM, by placing it in a dark box with an LED pulser,
hooked up to a voltmeter, and data is analyzed
through an oscilloscope. The SiPM characterization
goals are to measure the sensitivity, dark current, and
pulse height.
Introduction of BursCube and SiPM
• Some of the most important objectives of
BurstCube are: (1) to characterize and text SiPMs
to qualify them for higher class space missions and
(2) to detect the astrophysical counterparts of
gravitational wave signals.
• SiPM -Cost efficient and smaller version of a
satellite to observe short Gamma Ray Bursts and
Gravitational waves in space.
• SiPMs are composed of a dense array of small,
electrically and optically isolated Geiger-mode
photodiode ’cells’, typically arranged between 100-
1000 mm-2 and the signals are summed to form the
SiPM output signal.
Figure 3: The Silicon
Photomultiplier from
SensL compared to a
quarter.
Part #: MicroFC-
SMA-10035
Figure 2: A
representation of
BurstCube. The CsI is
in green.
Goals
While characterizing the SiPM, we hope to monitor:
• Dark Current
• Dark Current + LED
• Sensitivity
Experimental Procedure
• Created a dark box and LED pulser.
• The SiPM was placed in the dark box to prevent the
disturbance of other sources of light.
• Modified the code to program the oscilloscope to
process data
• Created a code to modify the data collected from
the SiPM to mainly look for signals and background
noise
Diagram of Electrical Set Up
Data/Analysis
Conclusion
By characterizing the SiPM, we are able collect data of the
background and signal. This has allowed us to see how
well the SiPM performs through the dark count and the
dark count + LED which will allow. This is very important
to be able to modify future work and also give in depth
device studies for the growing community of SiPM users.
Future Work
For the future work, the optical experimentation system
used will be modified to handle the data acquisition and
filter out the amount of photons that pass through the
SiPM. Afterwards, the SiPM will be ready to be attached
to the scintillators and similar tests will be performed.
References
Adam Nepomuk Otte, Distefano Garcia, Thanh Nguyen, Dhruv Purushotham.
Characterization of Three High Efficiency and Blue Sensitive Silicon
Photomultipliers.
Acknowledgments
I wish to send special thanks to my mentors Dr. David Morris(UVI) ,Jeremy
Perkins (GSFC Astroparticles Physics Division), and Judith Racusin (GSFC
Astroparticles Physics Division) and coworker, Rodney Querrard.Thank you
also to the NASA Grant NNX13AD28A that provided funding for this internship.
Figure 1: A
representation of a
neutron star merger
forming gravitational
waves.
Figure 4:Circuitry of
LED solderless
breadboard (top),
circuitry of the
SiPM(bottom)
h = the
max
height of
the signal
The average maximum height is collected
for the two backgrounds and they are
added to an array to format the data into
creating the analysis for the background.
The moving average is calculated by sliding a
window of three samples through the trace. At
each position the sum ofthe three samples is
calculated, and at the end of the scan, the
maximum sum is filled into a histogram.
Graph 2: The analysis of the background created by using
the maximum height and averages form the background.
Graph 1: The analysis of the signalcreated by using
the maximum height and averages form the signal.