Fast Probabilistic Particle Identification algorithm using silicon strip detectors

Active detectors used as radiation monitors in space are not usually able to perform Particle Identification (PID). Common techniques need energy loss spectra with high statistics to estimate ion abundances. The ALTEA-space detector system is a set of silicon strip particle telescopes monitoring the radiation environment on board the International Space Station since July 2006 with real-time telemetry capabilities. Its large geometrical factor due to the concurrent use of six detectors permits the acquisition of good energy loss spectra even in a short period of observation. In this paper we present a novel Fast Probabilistic Particle Identification (FPPI) algorithm developed for the ALTEA data analysis in order to perform nuclear identification with low statistics and, with some limitations, also in real time.