A scalable analytic model for single event upsets in radiation-hardened field programmable gate arrays in the PHENIX interaction region

Reprogrammable logic devices have already demonstrated themselves to be most useful on several of PHENIX subsystems outside the actual IR, most notably on the Level-1 Trigger. The primary purpose of this  study is to characterize the nature of the radiation environment within PHENIX. This  model can ultimately be used to create a better understanding of single event upsets induced in a hypothetical FPGA in the IR; an issue of particularly importance in considerations for future experiments and detector upgrades. The model can  also provide a means of evaluating the feasibility of using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to replace the traditional ASIC components in on-detector electronics.