Low energy response of the NICER detectors and "threshold efficiency" effect
Abstract
The Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) is an instrument that is planned to be installed on the International Space Station in 2016 to study time-resolved spectra of the rapidly changing celestial ojects. The focal plane of the instrument consists of 56 Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs). Signal from each SDD is fed to shaping amplifiers and triggering circuits that determine both amplitude and time of arrival for each "event".Zero crossing timing circuit is used in order to suppress energy dependent "time walk". That is done with a chain producing a derivative of the shaped signal, and the same chain detects threshold crossings marking the arrival of an X-ray photon. Higher noise of the differentiated signal leads to a somewhat extended band of signal amplitudes close to the threshold value, for which detection efficiency is less than 100%. Detection efficiency in this area affects the low energy portion of the detector response, and is very well described by an error function. We will present accurate measurements of this effect, show the consequences for the instrument quantum efficiency and the shape of the response function and will describe the calibration procedures that would allow selection of optimal threshold values for each observation.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #15
- Pub Date:
- April 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016HEAD...1511613P