Recent progress with the MicroCAT gaseous imaging detector

The detector, presented here, is a combination of the MicroCAT gas gain device with a truly two-dimensional interpolating readout structure. A new spacer concept has been developed to keep a constant distance between the gas gain and the readout structure, also for increased detection areas. Thus, it was possible to enlarge the sensitive area by a factor 16 to 56×56 mm2. The interpolating anode combines the advantages of a pure pixel device with a reduced number of electronic readout channels, nevertheless reaching a spatial resolution of about 200 μm. In order to understand the physical behaviour of the two-dimensional interpolating structure and to optimise this device for different applications a numerical simulation of the signal development was performed. Recent results of the MicroCAT detector demonstrate the applicability of this detector system in the field of protein crystallography and time resolved measurements in the microsecond range.