A compact Time-Of-Flight detector for radiation measurements in a space habitat: LIDAL–ALTEA

Abstract LIDAL–ALTEA is a detector designed to study the radiation flux and energy spectra in the International Space Station (ISS). Its mission is manifested by NASA in 2019. The ALTEA subsystem, which took data on the ISS in the past Zaconte et al. (2010), is based on Silicon Strip detectors and will measure the released energy of the traversing particles, while the LIDAL subdetector is based on fast plastic scintillators, read by PMTs, will measure the particle Time Of Flight. A custom Front End electronics has been designed to reach a time resolution better than 120 ps. LIDAL is under construction while a prototype has been already tested with a proton beam. The measured time resolution fulfills the design expectation and is compatible with FLUKA simulations. The Monte Carlo results have also been validated by the comparison with a test measure where the ALTEA detector was exposed to proton beams.