RADIATION EFFECTS ON PRESSURE TRANSDUCER COMPONENTS.

The performance of two types of pressure transducers and several cables in a radiation environment was evaluated. The transducers were a quartz piezoelectric crystal assembly, and several strain-gauge transducers. The most important perturbations of these transducers by a short pulse of radiation are the emission and absorption of secondary electrons by parts of the device and the conductivity of insulating materials, including quartz, cable connectors, and cables. The experimentally measured results can be applied to evaluate the spurious signals and the perturbation of pressure-induced signals in a specified pulse radiation environment. The gamma levels required for complete turn-on and the neutron levels which would cause failure of silicon controlled rectifiers and Shockley diodes were determined. The zener diodes were investigated to determine the transient effects due to gamma radiation and the permanent zener voltage changes due to neutron radiation. The mechanisms of these perturbations are presented to facilitate the designing of systems to minimize these same perturbations. Author