TIME RESOLVING DETECTOR SYSTEMS - CHARGE-COUPLED-DEVICES IN STUDIES OF SINGLE-PARTICLE EVENTS

The design and the atomic composition of Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) make them unique for investigations of single energetic particle even ts. As detector system for ionizing particles they detect single parti cles with local resolution and near real time particle tracking. In co mbination with its properties as optical sensor, particle transversals of single particles are to be correlated to any objects attached to t he light sensitive surface of the sensor by simple imaging of their sh adow and subsequent image analysis of both, optical image and particle effects, observed in affected pixels. As semiconducting storage devic es of high charge sensitivity with an atomic composition and structure being similar to charge sensitive memory devices, CCDs permit to inve stigate single particle effects in microprocessor and memory devices, minor effects as well as those causing fatal errors and malfunctions b y changing charge states (Single Event Upsets) in complex particle rad iation fields, such as in space. For calibration purpose of the CCD as particle detector, radiation effects of ionizing particles in the pix els have been quantified. Applications are presented in the field of r adiobiology with metabolizing seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana and wi th the investigation of single particle events in high integrated elec tronic components in space radiation fields.