Gamma irradiation of magnetoresistive sensors for planetary exploration.

A limited number of Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) magnetic sensors of the HMC series by Honeywell, with and without integrated front-end electronics, were irradiated with gamma rays up to a total irradiation dose of 200 krad (Si), following the ESCC Basic Specification No. 22900. Due to the magnetic cleanliness required for these tests a special set-up was designed and successfully employed.