The Gamma Ray Imaging Detector of the AGILE satellite: A novel application of silicon trackers for detection of astrophysics high-energy photons
Abstract
AGILE is a project of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Scientific Program dedicated to Gamma ray astrophysics. It is designed to be a very light and compact instrument, capable of photon detections and imaging in both the 30 MeV-50 GeV and 18-60 keV energy ranges, with a large field of view (FOV is ∼3 and ∼1 sr, respectively). The core of the instrument (launched on April 23, 2007 from the Indian Space Research Organization's launch facility) is represented by the Gamma Ray Imaging Detector (GRID), which is a silicon tracker developed by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), with a spatial resolution of ∼40 μm. The GRID performances have been studied by means of a GEANT Montecarlo, and tested with a dedicated calibration campaign using the tagged gamma beam available at Beam Test Facility (BTF) of INFN Frascati Laboratory.
- Publication:
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Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A
- Pub Date:
- October 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.nima.2009.05.118
- Bibcode:
- 2009NIMPA.610..291R