An experiment to detect energetic neutrons and gamma rays from the sun

Abstract

A payload for the detection and measurement of high energy neutrons and gamma rays from the sun was flown onboard the first Indian satellite Aryabhata. The payload system for this neutron-gamma experiment was designed for detecting energetic neutrons in the energy range 10-500 MeV and gamma rays in the energy range 0.2-20 MeV. The details of the design of the payload, various tests carried out on it as well as the preliminary in-orbit performance are presented.