High-performance microchannel plate imaging photon counters for spaceborne sensing

Oswald Siegmund; Barry Welsh; John Vallerga; Anton Tremsin; Jason McPhate

doi:10.1117/12.666258

30 May 2006 High-performance microchannel plate imaging photon counters for spaceborne sensing

Oswald Siegmund, Barry Welsh, John Vallerga, Anton Tremsin, Jason McPhate

Proceedings Volume 6220, Spaceborne Sensors III; 622004 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.666258
Event: Defense and Security Symposium, 2006, Orlando (Kissimmee), Florida, United States

Abstract

The unique ability to record photon X,Y,T high fidelity information has advantages for high speed recording devices for some important time dependent applications. For microchannel plate sensors our most commonly used readout configuration is the cross delay line anode. We have achieved resolutions of < 25 μm in tests over 65 mm x 65 mm (>2.5k x 2.5k resolution elements) with excellent linearity for random photon rates of > 500 kHz, while time tagging events using the MCP output signal to better than 100 ps. Open face and sealed tube microchannel plate cross delay line detectors of this kind have been built and used for observation of flare stars, orbital satellites and space debris with the GALEX satellite, time resolved imaging of the Crab Pulsar with a telescope as small as 1m, biological fluorescence imaging and synchrotron diagnostics. To achieve better efficiency, higher counting rate and extended lifetime we are now developing cross strip anode readouts. These have already demonstrated 5μm resolution at <10x lower gain than the cross delay line schemes, and high speed electronics for the cross strip are currently in development.

Citation Download Citation

Oswald Siegmund, Barry Welsh, John Vallerga, Anton Tremsin, and Jason McPhate "High-performance microchannel plate imaging photon counters for spaceborne sensing", Proc. SPIE 6220, Spaceborne Sensors III, 622004 (30 May 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.666258

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