GaAs LED based NIEL spectrometer for the space radiation environment

A NIEL (Non-Ionizing-Energy-Loss) spectrometer experimental tray was fabric ated with the intent that it would be flown on the MIR space station. Since the flight was subsequently cancelled, the tray was tested in a laboratory environment at the Universite de Montreal. While conventional TLDs are use d to measure the dose due to ionization, GaAs and SiC LEDs are employed to measure NIEL, i.e. the non-ionizing component of the energy loss. The desig n criteria and testing of the GaAs LEDs as NIEL monitors are described.