ALEHDI

ALEHDI aims to improve services for the irradiation of devices and materials through particle accelerators by reducing carbon contamination on large-area samples irradiated with moderate-energy, high-dose protons.

Irradiation tests with protons of energy between 0.2 and 1 MeV and doses above 1016 cm-2 are fundamental for qualifying components and materials for space, as they simulate an operational life of 10-15 years in orbit. The problem with these types of tests is that, despite the good quality of the basic vacuum in the analysis chamber, a carbon layer is seen to form on the sample during the irradiation phase, which increases as the dose delivered increases. Such contamination alters the test conditions and properties of irradiated devices, especially in the case of optical components.

The ALEHDI project aims to develop refined techniques for quantifying carbon deposition and eliminating it through a special cryogenic pumping system.
The development of the accelerator technology as an irradiation facility is strategic for INFN, which stands as a provider of high-tech services that no one else is able to provide nationally.