PN-CCD camera for XMM: performance of high time resolution/bright source operating modes

Eckhard Kendziorra; Edgar Bihler; Willy Grubmiller; Baerbel Kretschmar; Markus Kuster; Bernhard Pflueger; Ruediger Staubert; Heinrich W. Braeuninger; Ulrich G. Briel; Norbert Meidinger; Elmar Pfeffermann; Claus Reppin; Diana Stoetter; Lothar Strueder; Peter Holl; Josef Kemmer; Heike Soltau; Christoph von Zanthier

doi:10.1117/12.283765

15 October 1997 PN-CCD camera for XMM: performance of high time resolution/bright source operating modes

Eckhard Kendziorra, Edgar Bihler, Willy Grubmiller, Baerbel Kretschmar, Markus Kuster, Bernhard Pflueger, Ruediger Staubert, Heinrich W. Braeuninger, Ulrich G. Briel, Norbert Meidinger, Elmar Pfeffermann, Claus Reppin, Diana Stoetter, Lothar Strueder, Peter Holl, Josef Kemmer, Heike Soltau, Christoph von Zanthier

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3114, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.283765
Event: Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation '97, 1997, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The pn-CCD camera is developed as one of the focal plane instruments for the European photon imaging camera (EPIC) on board the x-ray multi mirror (XMM) mission to be launched in 1999. The detector consists of four quadrants of three pn-CCDs each, which are integrated on one silicon wafer. Each CCD has 200 by 64 pixels (150 micrometer by 150 micrometers) with 280 micrometers depletion depth. One CCD of a quadrant is read out at a time, while the four quadrants can be processed independently of each other. In standard imaging mode the CCDs are read out sequentially every 70 ms. Observations of point sources brighter than 1 mCrab will be effected by photon pile- up. However, special operating modes can be used to observe bright sources up to 150 mCrab in timing mode with 30 microseconds time resolution and very bright sources up to several crab in burst mode with 7 microseconds time resolution. We have tested one quadrant of the EPIC pn-CCD camera at line energies from 0.52 keV to 17.4 keV at the long beam test facility Panter in the focus of the qualification mirror module for XMM. In order to test the time resolution of the system, a mechanical chopper was used to periodically modulate the beam intensity. Pulse periods down to 0.7 ms were generated. This paper describes the performance of the pn-CCD detector in timing and burst readout modes with special emphasis on energy and time resolution.

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Eckhard Kendziorra, Edgar Bihler, Willy Grubmiller, Baerbel Kretschmar, Markus Kuster, Bernhard Pflueger, Ruediger Staubert, Heinrich W. Braeuninger, Ulrich G. Briel, Norbert Meidinger, Elmar Pfeffermann, Claus Reppin, Diana Stoetter, Lothar Strueder, Peter Holl, Josef Kemmer, Heike Soltau, and Christoph von Zanthier "PN-CCD camera for XMM: performance of high time resolution/bright source operating modes", Proc. SPIE 3114, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, (15 October 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.283765

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