A high energy focal-plane gas scintillation proportional counter

Author

Austin, R.A. ; Apple, J.A. ; Dietz, K.L. ; Ramsey, B.D. ; Zirnstein, C.G.

Author_Institution

Space Sci. Dept., USRA, Huntsville, AL, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1999

fDate

1999

Firstpage

616

Abstract

We are developing high-pressure gas scintillation proportional counters for the focus of balloon-borne hard-X-ray telescopes as part of our HERO (High-Energy Replicated Optics) program. Each detector has an active diameter of 5 cm, and is filled with a xenon +4% helium mix at a total pressure of 10 ATM. Imaging is via a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube located immediately below a UV transmitting exit window. Two units are currently under construction and evaluation for a night in the spring of 2000. We present details of their design and construction together with data from preliminary X-ray testing

Keywords

X-ray astronomy; astronomical telescopes; gas scintillation detectors; proportional counters; 10 atm; 5 cm; HERO; Xe-He; balloon-borne hard-X-ray telescope; focal-plane; gas scintillation proportional counter; high-pressure; position-sensitive photomultiplier tube; Focusing; Helium; Optical imaging; Photomultipliers; Radiation detectors; Solid scintillation detectors; Springs; Telescopes; X-ray imaging; Xenon;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Nuclear Science Symposium, 1999. Conference Record. 1999 IEEE

Conference_Location

Seattle, WA

ISSN

1082-3654

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5696-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NSSMIC.1999.845746

Filename

845746