Description of need
Single Event Effects (SEE) occur when a highly energetic charged or neutral particle causes a disruption of the correct operation of an integrated circuit.
Energetic particles, including neutrons, are naturally present in the earth’s atmosphere - at sea level and even more abundant at aircrafts altitudes, in avionic and space environments. Neutrons are generated as a secondary component from the interaction of primary cosmic ray particles with nuclei in the molecules composing the atmosphere, aircraft and spacecraft components, or the surface of planets.
There is a need to develop electronic devices that can sustain SSEs in space, and a need to assess the robustness of electronic devices and provide indications to protect them from environmental ionizing radiation.
Lou Wainwright thinks there is a big need for space material testing. That testing is all done at medical proton therapy facilities. SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA don’t have access to a dedicated facility.
Space testing requires ~250 MeV protons, which is well aligned with what the existing medical proton therapy devices already do.
Problem severity (1-10)
Who has this need
Companies and governments developing electronics that need to function in space
Total addressable market (TAM)
- Full TAM: Unknown
- The total market for proton irradiation testing of space materials is approximately 4,000 hours of testing per year, which is about 1 machine non-stop. Current rates are ~$2000 per hour.
Solutions today, and their shortcomings
Spallation neutron sources have with neutron energy spectra extending up to 3 GeV and intense fluxes of fast neutrons.