ProtoEXIST: advanced prototype CZT coded aperture telescopes for EXIST

Branden Allen; Jaesub Hong; Josh Grindlay; Scott D. Barthelmy; Robert G. Baker; Neil A. Gehrels; Trey Garson; Henric S. Krawczynski; Walter R. Cook; Fiona A. Harrison; Jeffrey A. Apple; Brian D. Ramsey

doi:10.1117/12.857940

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29 July 2010 ProtoEXIST: advanced prototype CZT coded aperture telescopes for EXIST

Branden Allen, Jaesub Hong, Josh Grindlay, Scott D. Barthelmy, Robert G. Baker, Neil A. Gehrels, Trey Garson, Henric S. Krawczynski, Walter R. Cook, Fiona A. Harrison, Jeffrey A. Apple, Brian D. Ramsey

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Proceedings Volume 7732, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 77324D (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857940
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

ProtoEXIST1 is a pathfinder for the EXIST-HET, a coded aperture hard X-ray telescope with a 4.5 m² CZT detector plane a 90x70 degree field of view to be flown as the primary instrument on the EXIST mission and is intended to monitor the full sky every 3 h in an effort to locate GRBs and other high energy transients. ProtoEXIST1 consists of a 256 cm² tiled CZT detector plane containing 4096 pixels composed of an 8x8 array of individual 1.95 cm x 1.95 cm x 0.5 cm CZT detector modules each with a 8 x 8 pixilated anode configured as a coded aperture telescope with a fully coded 10° x 10° field of view employing passive side shielding and an active CsI anti-coincidence rear shield, recently completed its maiden flight out of Ft. Sumner, NM on the 9th of October 2009. During the duration of its 6 hour flight on-board calibration of the detector plane was carried out utilizing a single tagged 198.8 nCi Am-241 source along with the simultaneous measurement of the background spectrum and an observation of Cygnus X-1. Here we recount the events of the flight and report on the detector performance in a near space environment. We also briefly discuss ProtoEXIST2: the next stage of detector development which employs the NuSTAR ASIC enabling finer (32×32) anode pixilation. When completed ProtoEXIST2 will consist of a 256 cm2 tiled array and be flown simultaneously with the ProtoEXIST1 telescope.

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Branden Allen, Jaesub Hong, Josh Grindlay, Scott D. Barthelmy, Robert G. Baker, Neil A. Gehrels, Trey Garson, Henric S. Krawczynski, Walter R. Cook, Fiona A. Harrison, Jeffrey A. Apple, and Brian D. Ramsey "ProtoEXIST: advanced prototype CZT coded aperture telescopes for EXIST", Proc. SPIE 7732, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 77324D (29 July 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857940

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