The Silicon Strip Detector Subsystem for the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station (TIGERISS)

The Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station (TIGERISS) is under construction and is planned to be launched in 2027 and will be attached at the SOX location on the Columbus module on the ISS. TIGERISS will make the first definitive measurements of Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Rays (UHGCRs; Z >29) on an individual element basis past barium (56Ba), through the lanthinides, and to lead (82Pb). TIGERISS has a geometry factor of 1.3 m2 sr and is comprised of four layers of single-sided silicon strip detectors (SSDs) arranged in orthogonal X-Y layers above and below two large-area Cherenkov detectors, one with an acrylic radiator (n = 1.49) and another with aerogel radiators (n =1.03). The combination of the Cherenkov velocity measurements with the precise measurements of the ionization and trajectory of the traversing cosmic rays leads to highly accurate charge measurements of < 0.25 c.u. over the entire elemental range of 5B to 82Pb. These TIGERISS measurements are highly sensitive to determining the strength of s-process, r-process, and rp-processes of nucleosynthesis, providing critical data needed for multi-messenger studies to determine the contributions of extreme phenomena, including supernovae (SN) and Neutron Star Mergers (NSMs), in the production of galactic matter. The science goals of TIGERISS, mission status, instrument design and performance with a focus on the SSD subsystem will be discussed.