End-to-End Performance Predictions for Gamma-Ray Observatories - the ACT Approach and Methods
Abstract
Space-based instruments operating in the energy range of nuclear lines are subject to complex backgrounds generated by cosmic-ray interactions and diffuse gamma rays; typically measurements are significantly background-dominated. Therefore accurate, detailed simulations of the background induced in different instrument configurations, and exploration of event selection and (if applicable) Compton reconstruction techniques for reducing these backgrounds, are crucial to determining both the capabilities of a given instrument configuration and the technology enhancements that would result in the most significant performance improvements.
In the context of the Advanced Compton Telescope (ACT) vision mission study, the ACT Simulation team has assembled a complete suite of tools that allows the generation of particle backgrounds for a given orbit (ACTenvir), their propagation through any instrument and spacecraft geometry - including delayed photon emission from instrument activation (MGGPOD) - as well as the event selection and reconstruction of Compton-scatter events in the given detectors (MEGAlib). The package can deal with polarized photon beams as well as e.g. anticoincidence shields. We briefly describe the different modules, emphasizing their interplay as well as publicly available modules not separately presented at this meeting, and illustrate the capabilities of the toolset with examples from the ACT study.- Publication:
-
AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #9
- Pub Date:
- September 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006HEAD....9.1859W