High-sensitivity x-ray polarimetry with amorphous-silicon active-matrix pixel proportional counters

J. Kevin Black; Phil Deines-Jones; Keith Jahoda; Steve E. Ready; Robert A. Street

doi:10.1117/12.504862

3 February 2004 High-sensitivity x-ray polarimetry with amorphous-silicon active-matrix pixel proportional counters

J. Kevin Black, Phil Deines-Jones, Keith Jahoda, Steve E. Ready, Robert A. Street

Proceedings Volume 5165, X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy XIII; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504862
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Photoelectric X-ray polarimeters based on pixel micropattern gas detectors (MPGDs) offer order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity over more traditional techniques based on X-ray scattering. This new technique places some of the most interesting astronomical observations within reach of even a small, dedicated mission. The most sensitive instrument would be a photoelectric polarimeter at the focus of a very large mirror, such as the planned XEUS. Our efforts are focused on a smaller pathfinder mission, which would achieve its greatest sensitivity with large-area, low-background, collimated polarimeters. We have recently demonstrated a MPGD polarimeter using amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (TFT) readout suitable for the focal plane of an X-ray telescope. All the technologies used in the demonstration polarimeter are scalable to the areas required for a high-sensitivity collimated polarimeter.

Citation Download Citation

J. Kevin Black, Phil Deines-Jones, Keith Jahoda, Steve E. Ready, and Robert A. Street "High-sensitivity x-ray polarimetry with amorphous-silicon active-matrix pixel proportional counters", Proc. SPIE 5165, X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy XIII, (3 February 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504862

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