Paper 13093-98
Paper 13093-98
MeV gamma-ray detector on the 50-kg class satellite
On demand | Presented live 21 June 2024 
Abstract
We are planning to launch a 50kg-class satellite named INSPIRE, equipped with a small, high-performance Hybrid Compton Camera (HCC) for MeV gamma-ray astronomy.Since the launch of the COMPTEL satellite in 1991, there have been limited observations in the MeV gamma-ray band. However, this energy range is crucial for studying nucleosynthesis processes. INSPIRE aims to conduct a wide-area survey of nuclear gamma rays from the galactic plane and includes gamma-ray observations of solar flares as one of its objectives. Equipped with a hybrid Compton camera (HCC) system, INSPIRE can perform simultaneous X-ray and gamma-ray imaging. This is achieved by integrating the features of both Compton and pinhole cameras within a single detector system. The system includes two sensor layers of large-area Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays, optically coupled with GAGG scintillators. This configuration enables simultaneous imaging of gamma rays from 30 to 200 keV in pinhole mode and from 200 to 3000 keV in Compton mode. Its intrinsic efficiency and angular resolution are comparable to those of COMPTEL.The INSPIRE satellite is being developed as the successor to PETREL, which is currently being prepared for launch, with a planned launch in 2027.
Presenter
Kazuo Tanaka
Waseda Univ. (Japan)
Kazuo Tanaka is an Senior Researcher at the Waseda University and Co-Research Director of the KATAOKA Line X-ray and Gamma-ray Imaging Project (JST, ERATO). The primary goal of this project is to advance X-ray and gamma-ray imaging techniques in the fields of space, medicine, and pharmaceuticals, thereby establishing a novel interdisciplinary framework for imaging. A key mission within this project is the development of a MeV gamma-ray detector to be deployed on a 50kg-class satellite called INSPIRE.
After the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Tokyo in 2016, Kazuo Tanaka has held research positions at Tohoku University and the Paul Scherrer Institute, where he specialized in particle physics with muons, anti-protons, ultra-cold neutrons, and Francium.