Title :
In Orbit Performance of the Einstein Observatory/HEAO-2 Imaging Proportional Counter
Author :
Gorenstein, P. ; Harnden, F.R., Jr. ; Fabricant, D.G.
Author_Institution :
Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 60 Garden Street Cambridge, MA 02138
Abstract :
After two years of orbital operation, the IPC--a soft X-ray (0.2 - 4 keV) position sensitive proportional counter--continues to perform well after some initial gain changes, and is the most widely used focal plane instrument of the Einstein Observatory. X-ray images of several thousand cosmic X-ray sources have been obtained with a resolution of ~ 1.5 arcmin (FWHM) with a 1° field. Particle backgrounds are less than expected. The calibration of the instrument with respect to gain variations and spatial linearity is being refined by in-flight measurements.
Keywords :
Calibration; Counting circuits; Image resolution; Instruments; Linearity; Observatories; Optical imaging; Performance gain; Spatial resolution; X-ray imaging;
Journal_Title :
Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TNS.1981.4331295
