Title :
Energy, depth calibration, and imaging capability of Nuclear Compton Telescope
Author :
Chiu, Jeng-Lun ; Liu, Zong-Kai ; Bandstra, Mark S. ; Perez-Becker, Daniel ; Bellm, Eric C. ; Zoglauer, Andreas ; Boggs, Steven E. ; Chang, Hsiang-Kuang ; Chang, Yuan-Hann ; Huang, Minghuey A. ; Amman, Mark ; Hung, Wei-Che ; Liang, Jau-Shian ; Lin, Chih-Hs
Author_Institution :
Nat. Tsing-Hua Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan
fDate :
Oct. 24 2009-Nov. 1 2009
Abstract :
The Nuclear Compton Telescope (NCT) is a balloon-borne soft gamma ray (0.2-10 MeV) telescope designed to study astrophysical sources of nuclear line emission and polarization. The heart of NCT is an array of 12 cross-strip germanium detectors, designed to provide 3D positions for each photon interaction with full 3D position resolution to < 2 mm3. Tracking individual interactions enables Compton imaging, effectively reduces background, and enables the measurement of polarization. The keys to Compton imaging with NCT´s detectors are determining the energy deposited in the detector at each strip and tracking the gamma-ray photon interaction within the detector. The 3D positions are provided by the orthogonal X and Y strips, and by determining the interaction depth using the charge collection time difference (CTD) between the anode and cathode. Our preliminary calibrations of the energy and the 3D position of interactions have been completed as well as the verifications of imaging capabilities. Here we will present the techniques and results.
Keywords :
Compton effect; aerospace instrumentation; astronomical polarimetry; astronomical telescopes; balloons; calibration; gamma-ray apparatus; germanium radiation detectors; position sensitive particle detectors; 3D photon interaction position; Compton imaging; NCT depth calibration; NCT energy; NCT imaging capability; Nuclear Compton Telescope; astrophysical sources; balloon borne soft gamma ray telescope; charge collection time difference; cross strip germanium detectors; electron volt energy 0.2 MeV to 10 MeV; nuclear line emission; nuclear line polarization; photon energy deposition; Calibration; Gamma ray detection; Gamma ray detectors; Heart; Optical design; Optical imaging; Polarization; Sensor arrays; Strips; Telescopes; Compton imaging; Gamma-ray astronomy detectors; gamma-ray imaging; germanium radiation detectors;
Conference_Titel :
Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC), 2009 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Orlando, FL
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-3961-4
Electronic_ISBN :
1095-7863
DOI :
10.1109/NSSMIC.2009.5401606