The Mini-EUSO multi-level trigger algorithm and its performance

The Mini-EUSO telescope is designed by the JEM-EUSO Collaboration to observe the UV emis- sion of the Earth from the vantage point of the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. The main goal of the mission is to map the Earth in the UV, thus increasing the technological readi- ness level of future EUSO experiments and to lay the groundwork for the detection of Extreme Energy Cosmic Rays (EECRs) from space. Due to its high time resolution of 2.5 μs, Mini-EUSO is capable of detecting a wide range of UV phenomena in the Earth’s atmosphere. In order to maximise the scientific return of the mission, it is necessary to implement a multi-level trigger logic for data selection on various different timescales. This logic is key to the success of the mission and thus must be thoroughly tested and integrated into the data processing system prior to launch. This article introduces the motivation behind the trigger design and details the testing of the logic through simulations and data taken at the TurLab facility.