Modular multi-element high energy particle detector

A high energy particle detector comprising at least two detector modules, each module comprising:

• a planar heavy metal carrier having first and second planar surfaces;
• a plurality of planar particle detector units substantially evenly distributed across the first planar surface of said carrier;
• electrically conductive attachment means securing one face of each planar particle detector unit to said first planar surface of said carrier;
• an electrical terminal associated with each planar particle detector unit extending through said carrier from said first planar surface to said second planar surface;
• means electrically insulating the terminals from said carrier;
• and
• connecting means electrically connecting the other face of each planar particle detector unit to the associated terminal at the first planar surface.

An array of multi-element high energy particle detector modules comprising:

• a plurality of planar right parallelogram carriers of heavy metal having first and second planar surfaces;
• a plurality of right parallelogram planar p-i-n diode detector elements substantially uniformly distributed across the first planar surface of each carrier;
• electrically conductive attachment means securing one face of each planar p-i-n diode detector element to said first planar surfaces of said carriers;
• an electrical terminal associated with each planar p-i-n diode detector element extending through said carrier and having a socket at one planar surface of the carrier and a pin extending from the other planar surface of the carrier;
• means electrically insulating the terminals from said carriers, and
• connecting means electrically connecting the other face of each planar p-i-n diode detector element to the associated terminal;
• at least some of said right parallelogram carriers being arranged side by side to form planar arrays of substantially uniformly distributed detector elements, and said planar arrays being stacked in layers with the pins extending from one planar surface of the carriers in at least some of said planar arrays engaging the sockets in the other planar surface of carriers in an adjacent array.