A Three Parameter Pulse Height Analyzer and Coincidence System for Satellite Cosmic Ray Studies

A cosmic ray experiment to be flown on an Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO-E) consists of Cerenkov, scintillation, and solid state detector telescopes with associated electronics. Primary emphasis in this paper is placed upon description of the 256 channel pulse height analyzer and coincidence system electronics. Description of the three parameter system used for the scintillation telescope is emphasized since it is the most representative of the three telescope systems. A pulse height analysis is performed on each of the three photomultiplier tube outputs. Results are sent into the spacecraft data handling system. Circuits in the analyzer discussed in detail because of their improved performance over previously used circuits are a low noise charge sensitive amplifier, an RC pulse shaping technique, a delay line gated oscillator and a peak detecting circuit for pulse shape discrimination. In conjunction with the basic analyzer a coincidence system using a basic circuit for threshold discrimination and coincidence gating is described. Precise control of resolution down to 100 nanoseconds is obtainable.