The Use of Coded Aperture Masks in Low Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

In order make a significant step forward in low-energy gamma-ray astronomy, a telescope with high sensitivity, fine angular resolution, and imaging capability down to a few tenths of a degree is required. The coded aperture mask used together with a position sensitive detector make it possible to achieve these capabilities. Laboratory tests of the position sensitive sodium iodide detection system and the expected performance of the coded imaging mask derived from simulations are presented.