A scintillator-based hard X-Ray imaging telescope - CASTER
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
1-1-2005
Abstract
The primary scientific goal of the Black Hole Finder Probe (BHFP) mission, a component of the NASA Beyond Einstein program, is to survey the local Universe for black holes over a wide range of mass and accretion rate. One approach to such a survey is a hard X-ray coded aperture imaging telescope operating in the 10 - 600 keV energy band, a spectral range especially useful for detecting black hole sources and studying their spectra. The development of new inorganic scintillator materials (e.g., LaBr3 and LaCl3) provides improved energy resolution and timing performance that is well suited to the BHFP science requirements. Detection planes formed with such materials coupled with a new generation of readout devices represent a significant advance in the performance capabilities of scintillator-based gamma cameras. We discuss the Coded Aperture Survey Telescope for Energetic Radiation (CASTER), a mission concept for a BHFP based on the use of the latest scintillator technology, and present laboratory test results demonstrating the expected scintillator performance.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
29th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2005
First Page
407
Last Page
410
Recommended Citation
Cherry, M., Bloser, P., Case, G., Cravens, J., Guzik, T., Hurley, K., Isbert, J., Kippen, R., Macri, J., McConnell, M., Miller, R., Paciesas, W., Ryan, J., Schaefer, B., Stacy, J., Vestrand, W., Wefel, J., & Welch, C. (2005). A scintillator-based hard X-Ray imaging telescope - CASTER. 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2005, 5, 407-410. Retrieved from https://repository.lsu.edu/physics_astronomy_pubs/4734