Low Noise Microchannel Plate Detectors For X-Ray Astronomy

Michael R. Garcia; Jon H Chappell; Stephen S. Murray; W. Bruce Feller; George W. Fraser

doi:10.1117/12.961809

27 November 1989 Low Noise Microchannel Plate Detectors For X-Ray Astronomy

Michael R. Garcia, Jon H Chappell, Stephen S. Murray, W. Bruce Feller, George W. Fraser

Proceedings Volume 1140, X-Ray Instrumentation in Medicine and Biology, Plasma Physics, Astrophysics, and Synchrotron Radiation; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.961809
Event: 1989 International Congress on Optical Science and Engineering, 1989, Paris, France

Abstract

The dominant source of internal background in microchannel plate detectors is thought to be due to trace amount of ra-dioisotopes in the detector glass which decay through β-processes. Several manufacturers have begun programs to produce lead glass with greatly reduced amounts of radioisotopes in order to fabricate microchannel plates with lower internal background counting rates. Our laboratory measurements of such plates show that the background rates are substantially lower than in standard microchannel plates. The remaining background rate is consistent with the sum of the rates due to the residual trace level of radioisotopes, cosmic ray interactions in the microchannel plates, and a third, previously unrecognized component which is likely due to MeV γ-rays emitted by the laboratory concrete walls. We discuss the implications the measured background rates have for the sensitivity of the High Resolution Camera (HRC) to be flown on the U.S. Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). We compare these predicted rates with those measured in the High Resolution Imager (HRI) which was flown on the Einstein X-ray astronomy observatory.

Citation Download Citation

Michael R. Garcia, Jon H Chappell, Stephen S. Murray, W. Bruce Feller, and George W. Fraser "Low Noise Microchannel Plate Detectors For X-Ray Astronomy", Proc. SPIE 1140, X-Ray Instrumentation in Medicine and Biology, Plasma Physics, Astrophysics, and Synchrotron Radiation, (27 November 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.961809

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