A LARGE-AREA MICROSTRIP-GAS-COUNTER FOR X-RAY ASTRONOMY

Authors
RAMSEY BD APPLE JA AUSTIN RA DIETZ KL MINAMITANI T KOLODZIEJCZAK JJ WEISSKOPF MC
Citation
Bd. Ramsey et al., A LARGE-AREA MICROSTRIP-GAS-COUNTER FOR X-RAY ASTRONOMY, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 383(2-3), 1996, pp. 424-430
Citations number
8
Categorie Soggetti
Nuclear Sciences & Tecnology","Physics, Particles & Fields","Instument & Instrumentation",Spectroscopy
Journal title
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment → ACNP
ISSN journal
01689002
Volume
383
Issue
2-3
Year of publication
1996
Pages
424 - 430
Database
ISI
SICI code
0168-9002(1996)383:2-3<424:ALMFXA>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
We have developed a large-area coded-mask telescope for hard-X-ray ast ronomy. The heart of the instrument is an imaging microstrip-gas-count er of active area 30 cm x 30 cm and filled with 2 x 10(5) Pa of xenon + 2% isobutylene. Fabricated on a single sheet of borosilicate glass, 1 mm thick, the microstrip features fine anodes (10 mu m) and interlea ved cathodes from which the position sensing is derived. Rear pickup e lectrodes provide the second coordinate. Full details of the instrumen t and its performance are presented. A first flight, from a high-altit ude balloon, is scheduled for the Spring of 1997.