Development of large arrays of microcalorimeters for precision gamma-ray spectroscopy

Author

Ullom, J.N. ; Zink, B.L. ; Beall, J.A. ; Doriese, W.B. ; Duncan, W.D. ; Ferreira, L. ; Hilton, G.C. ; Irwin, K.D. ; Reintsema, C.D. ; Vale, L.R. ; Rabin, M.W. ; Hoover, A. ; Rudy, C.R. ; Smith, M.K. ; Tournear, D.M. ; Vo, D.T.

Author_Institution

Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Boulder, CO

Volume

2

fYear

2005

fDate

23-29 Oct. 2005

Firstpage

1154

Lastpage

1158

Abstract

We present measurements from a gamma-ray microcalorimeter with a FWHM energy resolution of 42 eV at 103 keV on a gadolinium test source and 52 eV FWHM at 103 keV on a complex mixture of plutonium isotopes. Additionally, we provide an overview of microcalorimeter technology, its specialized readout electronics, and the associated cryogenics. NIST is presently developing arrays of microcalorimeters and microbolometers for applications at submillimeter and X-ray wavelengths. The largest of these arrays will have 10,240 pixels and a sensing area of 102.4 cm². This technology development is directly applicable to gamma-ray microcalorimeter arrays and we see no obstacles to gamma-ray microcalorimeter arrays of 100 or more pixels

Keywords

bolometers; calorimeters; cryogenics; gamma-ray spectrometers; gamma-ray spectroscopy; particle calorimetry; readout electronics; FWHM energy resolution; X-ray wavelength; cryogenics; gadolinium test source; gamma-ray microcalorimeter arrays; microbolometer arrays; microcalorimeter technology; plutonium isotopes; precision gamma-ray spectroscopy; readout electronics; submillimeter wavelength; Cryogenics; Energy measurement; Energy resolution; Isotopes; NIST; Spectroscopy; Submillimeter wave technology; Temperature sensors; X-ray detection; X-ray detectors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, 2005 IEEE

Conference_Location

Fajardo

ISSN

1095-7863

Print_ISBN

0-7803-9221-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NSSMIC.2005.1596455

Filename

1596455