Author/Authors :
Kanbach، نويسنده , , G. and Andritschke، نويسنده , , R. and Zoglauer، نويسنده , , A. and Ajello، نويسنده , , M. and McConnell، نويسنده , , M.L. and Macri، نويسنده , , J.R and Ryan، نويسنده , , J.M. and Bloser، نويسنده , , P. and Hunter، نويسنده , , S. and DiCocco، نويسنده , , G. and Kurfess، نويسنده , , J. and Reglero، نويسنده , , V.، نويسنده ,
Abstract :
We describe the development and tests of the prototype for a new telescope for Medium Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy (MEGA) in the energy band 0.4–50 MeV. As a successor to COMPTEL and EGRET (at low energies), MEGA aims to improve the sensitivity for astronomical sources by at least an order of magnitude. It could thus fill the severe sensitivity gap between scheduled or operating hard-X-ray and high-energy gamma-ray missions and open the way for a future Advanced Compton Telescope. MEGA records and images γ-rays by completely tracking Compton and Pair creation events in a stack of double-sided Si-strip track detectors surrounded by a pixelated CsI calorimeter. A scaled down prototype has been built and we describe technical details of its design and properties. Results from calibrations using radioactive sources and from measurements with an accelerator generated, fully polarized, γ-ray beam are presented and an outlook to future plans with MEGA is given.
Keywords :
Medium gamma-ray energies , DSSD tracking detector , CsI/PIN diode calorimeter , Compton telescope , Gamma-ray astronomy , MEGA
