First investigation of the response of solar cells to heavy ions above 1 AMeV

Solar cells have been used since several decades for the detection of fission fragments at about 1 AMeV. The advantages of solar cells regarding their cost (few euros) and radiation damage resistance make them an interesting candidate for heavy ion detection and an appealing alternative to silicon detectors. A first exploratory measurement of the response of solar cells to heavy ions at energies above 1 AMeV has been performed at the GANIL facility, Caen, France. Such measurements were performed with 84Kr and 129Xe beams ranging from 7 to 13 AMeV. The energy and time response of several types of solar cells were studied. The best performance was observed for cells of 10x10 mm2, with an energy and time resolution of σ(E)/E=1.4% and 3.6 ns (FWHM), respectively. Irradiations at rates from a few hundred to 106 particles per second were also performed to investigate the behavior of the cells with increasing intensity.