MiniCalorimeter of the AGILE satellite
Abstract
The Italian Small Scientific Satellite AGILE is designed to operate in the energy range 30 MeV-50 GeV and will achieve an angular resolution of 5 to 20 for intense sources over a large field of view (better then 2 sr). The payload consists of a X-ray imaging detector (Super-Agile), a Silicon-Tungsten Tracker, a Cesium Iodide Mini-Calorimeter, an anticoincidence system, fast readout electronics and processing unit. The Mini-Calorimeter, comprises 2 orthogonal planes each consisting of 16 bars of CsI(Tl), it will contribute to the determination of the energy of the interacting gamma-rays and will allow the detection of Gamma Ray Bursts and other impulsive events from around 300 keV. A prototype of the Mini-Calorimeter has been tested both with laboratory sources and with charged particles (1 - 2 GeV/c) during some dedicated test campaign carried out in August 1999, in May 2000 and in November 2000 at the CERN T11 beamline (East Hall, CERN PS). The test set-up was completed with a prototype of the flight frontend electronic chain. A prototype of the digital data acquisition chain, which will be the basis of the payload Electronic Ground Support Equipment, has also been built and tested. The tests have been devoted to detector unit characterization and electronic characterization. The results of the tests carried out in 2000 are described and discussed.
- Publication:
-
X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy XII
- Pub Date:
- January 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1117/12.454223
- Bibcode:
- 2002SPIE.4497..187A