Simulation and testing of the Silicon Tracker dynamic behaviour in the Agile space mission

• Published in: Computational methods and experimental measurements XI: [Eleventh International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements, CMEM XI pp. 351 - 360
• Main Authors: Rotta, E, Pontoni, C, Prest, M
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2003
• ISBN: 1853129690; 9781853129698
• ISSN: 1466-7266

Agile is a satellite based gamma ray telescope supported by the Italian Space Agency. The Agile scientific payload will detect and monitor gamma-ray sources in the energy range 30 MeV - 50 GeV in an equatorial orbit at 550 km. The scientific instrument is made of a silicon-tungsten tracker, a cesium iodide minicalorimeter, an anticoincidence system, a X-ray detector, fast readout electronics and processing units. The launch of the satellite is scheduled at the end of 2004 with a Soyuz launcher. During the launch phase, the spacecraft is subject to the highest static and dynamics loads. Structures are designed not only to survive this hard environment but also to protect the detector non-structural components and to allow them to function. In this paper the numerical dynamic analysis of the Silicon Tracker finite element model is presented and compared to the vibration test results in order to verify that the microstrip silicon detectors withstand launch and space environments.