Flight Performance and Laboratory Tests of CZT detectors for Hard X-ray Focal Planes
Abstract
The next generation of hard X-ray instruments will employ focusing
telescopes, which can achieve orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to current instruments on modest sized platforms. Solid state Cadmium Zinc Telluride pixel detectors have recently been developed and implemented as focal plane detectors for these new telescopes, since they can achieve good imaging and spectral performance from X-ray energies of a few keV to greater than 100 keV. We have developed a high-performance Cd(Zn)Te pixel detector for use with the High Energy Focusing Telescope balloon experiment, and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Explorer mission. We present laboratory measurement as well as flight data from the HEFT program that demonstrate the spectral resolution, imaging performance, quantum efficiency, and background levels achievable for balloon and space platforms using the HEFT/NuSTAR hybrid configuration.- Publication:
-
AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #9
- Pub Date:
- September 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006HEAD....9.1826B