X-RAY POLARIMETRY AND POSITION MEASUREMENT USING THE PHOTOEFFECT AND CHARGE DIFFUSION IN A CCD

A new method of X-ray polarimetry based on the photoeffect in a highly segmented silicon charge coupled device (CCD) has been established us ing monochromatic synchrotron radiation and planar channeling radiatio n. For the smallest pixel dimensions (6.8 x 6.8 mu m(2)) available tod ay in commercial optical CCD cameras an analyzing power for linear pol arization in the order of 10% has been measured at energies above 10 k eV. A strong energy dependence is observed in the energy range from 15 to 40 keV. In addition to events due to the photoeffect in the thin d epleted front layer of the CCD, also diffusion spread events resulting from far more abundant conversions deeper inside the chip were found to be very useful for simultaneous measurements of polarization, energ y and position with sub-pixel, submicron impact accuracy (0.9 mu m ms at 15 keV), The spatial accuracy is in accord with expectations from M onte-Carlo simulations.