AGILE: Technologies and Electronics for gamma-ray and GRB detection

Following the success of the Beppo-SAX mission, a new family of single payloads for GRB observations are in the development phase. These payloads are characterized by a combination of instruments that provide a wide field-of-view and accurate pointing capability, as well as on-board triggers and source position identification. AGILE is a scientific space mission dedicated to gamma-ray astrophysics. The AGILE payload is based on the instrument concept outlined above, and it combines gamma-ray imaging detectors, and an X-ray imaging detector. Fast triggers and short detectors dead time allow detection of GRB pulses of time-scales from 1 millisecond to several tens of seconds. The AGILE Small Mission is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the instruments are developed in collaboration among Italian research institutes and Italian space industry. Laben S.p.A. (a FINMECCANICA company) designs and develops one of the detectors and most of the Payload electronics. This paper gives an overview of the implementation features of some detectors and on-board processing electronics with a view to burst detection and processing.