Simulated Performance of 3-DTI Gamma-Ray Telescope Concepts

We present Monte Carlo simulations of two astronomical gamma-ray telescope concepts based on the Three-Dimensional Track Imager (3-DTI) detector. The 3-DTI consists of a time projection chamber with two-dimensional, crossed-strip micro-well detector readout. The full three-dimensional reconstruction of charged-particle tracks in the gas volume is obtained from transient digitizers, which record the time signature of the charge collected in the wells of each strip. Such detectors hold great promise for advanced Compton telescope (ACT) and advanced pair telescope (APT) concepts due to the very precise measurement of charged particle momenta that is possible (Compton recoil electrons and electron-positron pairs, respectively). We have investigated the performance of baseline ACT and APT designs based on the 3-DTI detector using simulation tools based on GEANT3 and GEANT4, respectively. We present the expected imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry, and background performance of each design.