We have been developing position sensitive scintillation counter as focal plane detector of hard X-ray telescope onboard a balloon borne experiment. This detector consists NaI(TI) scintillator and position sensitive photo-multiplier tube. Focal plane detector has to have high efficiency in hard X-ray region, enough position resolution and detection area. 3mm thickness of NaI(TI) scintillator can achieve almost 100% efficiency below 80 keV. We measured position resolved energy and position resolution in synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 BL20B2. Position resolution of 2.4mm at 60keV is about half of plate scale of half power diameter of X-ray telescope. The detector has 6 cm diameter window and it corresponds to 25 arcmin field of view, and it is enough lager than the that of telescope, which is 12 arcmin in FWHM. Balloon borne experiment for observation of the background was performed on May 24, 2005 from Sanriku balloon center. We could obtain background data for 3 hours at altitude of 40 km.

Date Published: 15 June 2006
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 6266, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation II: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 62663R (15 June 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.671543

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6266:
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation II: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Martin J. L. Turner; Günther Hasinger, Editor(s)