A Position Sensitive Microchannel Photomultiplier For Ultraviolet Space Astronomy

M. Lampton; O. H.W. Siegmund; J. Bixler; S. Bowyer

doi:10.1117/12.968114

13 October 1986 A Position Sensitive Microchannel Photomultiplier For Ultraviolet Space Astronomy

M. Lampton, O. H.W. Siegmund, J. Bixler, S. Bowyer

Proceedings Volume 0627, Instrumentation in Astronomy VI; (1986) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.968114
Event: 1986 Astronomy Conferences, 1986, Tucson, United States

Abstract

We describe the development of a 25mm microchannel-plate position sensitive photomultiplier tube suited for a variety of applications in ultraviolet astronomy. Specifically, this detector is intended for the FAUST payload, to be flown on the EOM-1 Spacelab Mission in 1986, and is designed for wide field (8°) imaging surveys in the vacuum ultraviolet band between 1400A and 1800Å. The detector is a sealed device comprising a CsI photocathode deposited on the inner surface of a MgF2 window, a stack of microchannel plates, and a wedge and strip two dimen-sional position sensing anode. Photoelectrons emitted from the photocathode are collected and multiplied by the microchannel plates to give gains of the order of 107 electrons per event. The resultant electron cloud is incident on the anode where the charge is divided between the three electrodes (wedge, strip, and zigzag) in a fashion that is a linear function of the event location coordinates on the detector face. This device is usable over X1200Å to 2000Å and exhibits a peak quantum efficiency of >10%. The quantum efficiency varies by less than 25% over the field of view. Position reso-lution of the order of 100 p.m FWHM has been achieved and is maintained to 50,000 cps. Image nonlinearity of less than 1% is obtained with stability better than 1:500. The wedge-and-strip principle requires only three anode signals. The flight instrument electronics is therefore simple, comprising chiefly of three charge amplifiers and three analog-to-digital converters. In a space flight application, this simplicity is a benefit to the reliability, cost and schedule for payload fabrication, test, and integration. For these reasons, as well as its performance, detectors of this kind may find applications outside the FAUST program.

Citation Download Citation

M. Lampton, O. H.W. Siegmund, J. Bixler, and S. Bowyer "A Position Sensitive Microchannel Photomultiplier For Ultraviolet Space Astronomy", Proc. SPIE 0627, Instrumentation in Astronomy VI, (13 October 1986); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.968114

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