Cute-1.7 is a pico-satellite mainly developed by students at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech). This will be the second satellite built at Tokyo Tech after the first one, CUTE-I, which was launched in June 2003. The configuration of Cute-1.7 is a 10 cm × 10 cm × 20 cm box with a mass of 2 kg. The engineering objective of Cute-1.7 is to validate commercially available products such as Personal Digital Assistances (PDAs) in the space environment, and to demonstrate a "satellite core concept" which is dividing a satellite into a bus component and a mission component to adopt various missions. The scientific objective is to demonstrate the performance of avalanche photo diodes (APDs) as future X-ray detectors used in the space environment. Results of this mission will provide the first feedback for a space application of APD such as Japan's future X-ray astronomy mission NeXT.
We report on the performance of the most recent avalanche photodiodes produced by Hamamatsu Photonics, as low-energy X-rays and γ-rays detectors. APDs share good features of both photo diodes and PMTs, as they are very compact, produce an internal gain of 10-100, and have a high quantum efficiency close to 100% in the visible right. Until very recently, however, APDs were limited to very small surfaces, and were mainly used as a digital device for light communication. We have developed large area (up to 10x10 mm2) APDs which can be used in the physics experiments. The best energy resolution of 6.4% (FWHM) was obtained in direct detection of 5.9 keV X-rays. The FWHM results of 9.4% and 4.9% were obtained for 59.5 keV and 662 keV γ-rays respectively, as measured with the CsI(Tl) crystal. The minimum detectable energy for the scintillation light was as low as 1 keV at lightly cooled environment (-20°C). Note that our results are the best records ever achieved with APDs. Various applications of APDs are presented for future space research and nuclear medicine. In particular 2-dimensional APD arrays will be a promising device for a wide-band X-ray and γ-ray imaging detector.
The hard x-ray detector (HXD) is one of the three experiments of the Astro-E mission, the fifth Japanese X-ray Satellite devoted to studies of high energy phenomena in the universe in the x-ray to soft gamma-ray region. Prepared for launch at the beginning of 200 via the newly developed M-V launch vehicle of the Institute of Space and Astronomical Science, the Astro-E is to be thrown in to a near-circular orbit of 550 km altitude, with an inclination of 31 degrees. The flight model has been finished assembled this year, and we carried out various tests to verify the performance. We acquired the background spectrum at sea level, and confirmed that our system is operating effectively in reducing the background level. The HXD will observe photons in the energy range of 10-600 keV, and the calculations based on the preflight calibration suggest that the HXD will have the highest sensitivity ever achieved in this energy range. We also verified that our electronic system will maintain its performance against charged particle events expected in orbit.
The Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) is one of the three instruments on the fifth Japanese cosmic X-ray satellite ASTRO-E, scheduled for launch in January 2000. The HXD covers a wide energy range of 10-600 keV, using 16 identical GSO/BGO phoswich-counter modules, of which the low-energy efficiency is greatly improved by adding 2 m-thick silicon PIN diodes. Production of the HXD has been completed and pre-flight calibration is now in progress. The design concept of the HXD sensor, detail of the production process, and a brief summary of the measured performance is reported.
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