The detector assembly of the cameras of the Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X)

The Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X) is a proposed observatory on the Moon surface for the detection of transients and the long-term monitoring of astrophysical sources across the whole observable sky in the 2 − 50 keV band. LEM-X is based on a compact and lightweight coded-aperture camera with a 2 sr field of view. The detector plane is composed of four individual alumina-based Detector Assemblies (DA), each one hosting a single large-area (∼ 7 × 7 cm2) linear Silicon Drift Detector (SDD), as well as 24 analog Application Specific Integrated Circuits (AFE ASICs), specifically developed for this project. High-voltage cables and a rigid-flex printed circuit board connect the DA to the back-end electronics and power supply. A breadboard featuring a 64-channel SDD and two AFE ASICs has been manufactured and is currently under test. The LEMX DA is being developed within the Earth-Moon-Mars project of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan.