The Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors Tracker System of the High-Energy Particle Detector Aboard the Second Chinese Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite
The High Energy Particle Detector-02 (HEPD-02), onboard the second China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES-02), introduces—for the first time in a space application—a tracker designed entirely using Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS). The MAPS selected for the HEPD-02 tracker were developed as part of CERN's R&D efforts for the realization of the ALICE inner tracking system. The readout system has been optimized, significantly reducing power consumption. The performance of the MAPS has been validated for HEPD-02's scientific objectives through beam tests using particle and ion beams in the tens to hundreds of MeV energy range. This manuscript details the design principles and structure of the tracker. The integration procedure is outlined step by step, with a discussion of the challenges encountered at each stage and the strategies adopted to address them. The description concludes with an analysis of production yields and the criteria used for selecting components for the flight and qualification models. Additionally, an overview of the space qualification activities is provided. The launch of CSES-02 is scheduled for mid-2025. Following an initial in-orbit commissioning phase, the technology will achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9, making it available for future space missions.
Authors
- Simona Zoffoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3573-9051)
- G. Osteria (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9871-8103)
- S. Ricciarini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6176-3368)
- V. Scotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8868-3990)
- R. Battiston (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5808-7239)
- A. Oliva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6612-6170)
- C. Ferrero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5359-761X)
- Z. Sahnoun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1176-2003)
- Alessandro Sotgiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8835-2796)
- A. Contin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2535-5700)
- Umberto Savino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1884-2444)
- F. Nozzoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4355-7947)
- Veronica Vilona (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9893-9419)
- F. Palmonari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3707-0013)
- Giuseppe Gebbia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7252-7416)
- Marco Mese (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1452-3542)
- М. Мерге (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2018-4236)
- M. Lolli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9167-681X)
- M. Ricci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6816-4894)
- S. Bufalino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0413-9478)
- F. Benotto
- M. Pozzato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0279-5436)
- Riccardo Nicolaidis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7895-8484)
- P. Cipollone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3903-290X)
- B. Panico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1063-6961)
- A. Lega (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1660-0524)
- Enrico Serra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5120-4092)
- C. De Santis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7280-2446)
- S. Coli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7470-4463)
- S. Garrafa Botta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8446-0973)
- C. De Donato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9725-1281)
- Stefania Perciballi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2868-2819)
- S. Bartocci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3066-8621)
- R. Sparvoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6314-6117)
- P. Zuccon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6132-754X)
- P. Picozza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7986-3321)
- P. Ubertini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0601-0261)
- Francesco Palma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7076-8830)
- R. Iuppa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5038-2762)
- F. Perfetto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8119-5046)
- S. Beolè (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4673-8038)
- M. Cristoforetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0127-1342)
- F. M. Follega (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2317-9560)
- G. Masciantonio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-1561)
- L. Barioglio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7328-9154)
- Floarea Dumitrache
- Andrea di Luca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9074-2133)
- Marco Ricci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4222-9976)
Institutions
- University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
- Politecnico di Torino (IT)
- University of Trento (IT)
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler (IT)
- Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (IT)
- Nello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics And Applications (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Roma Tor Vergata (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma I (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
- University of Naples Federico II (IT)
- National Institute for Astrophysics (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine
- Published
- 2025-05-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/maes.2025.3568361
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Earthquake Detection and Analysis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.47