Plasma effect in Silicon Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs)

Understand

Plasma effect is observed in CCDs exposed to heavy ionizing alpha-particles with energies in the range 0.5 - 5.5 MeV.

• The results obtained for the size of the charge clusters reconstructed on the CCD pixels agrees with previous measurements in the high energy region (>3.5 MeV).
• The measurements were extended to lower energies using alpha-particles produced by (n,alpha) reactions of neutrons in a Boron-10 target.
• The effective linear charge density for the plasma column is measured as a function of energy.