Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userNovel Photon-Counting Detector for 0.1-100 keV X-ray Imaging Possessing High Spatial Resolution
58
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We report on a new photon-counting detector possessing unprecedented spatial resolution, moderate spectral resolution and high background-rejection capability for 0.1-100 keV X-rays. It consists of an X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) and scintillator. The scintillator is directly deposited on the back surface of the X-ray CCD. Low-energy X-rays below 10 keV can be directly detected in the CCD. The majority of hard X-rays above 10 keV pass through the CCD but can be detected in the scintillator, generating optical photons there. Since CCDs have a moderate detection efficiency for optical photons, they can again be absorbed by the CCD. We demonstrate the high spatial resolution of 10 micron order for 17.4 keV X-rays with our prototype device.
rate research
Read More
The performance of hybrid GaAs pixel detectors as X-ray imaging sensors were investigated at room temperature. These hybrids consist of 300 mu-m thick GaAs pixel detectors, flip-chip bonded to a CMOS Single Photon Counting Chip (PCC). This chip consists of a matrix of 64 x 64 identical square pixels (170 mu-m x 170 mu-m) and covers a total area of 1.2 cm**2. The electronics in each cell comprises a preamplifier, a discriminator with a 3-bit threshold adjust and a 15-bit counter. The detector is realized by an array of Schottky diodes processed on semi-insulating LEC-GaAs bulk material. An IV-charcteristic and a detector bias voltage scan showed that the detector can be operated with voltages around 200 V. Images of various objects were taken by using a standard X-ray tube for dental diagnostics. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) was also determined. The applications of these imaging systems range from medical applications like digital mammography or dental X-ray diagnostics to non destructive material testing (NDT). Because of the separation of detector and readout chip, different materials can be investigated and compared.
The MIRAX X-ray observatory, the first Brazilian-led astrophysics space mission, is designed to perform an unprecedented wide-field, wide-band hard X-ray (5-200 keV) survey of Galactic X-ray transient sources. In the current configuration, MIRAX will carry a set of four coded-mask telescopes with high spatial resolution Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector planes, each one consisting of an array of 64 closely tiled CZT pixelated detectors. Taken together, the four telescopes will have a total detection area of 959 cm^2, a large field of view (60x60 degrees FWHM), high angular resolution for this energy range (6 arcmin) and very good spectral resolution (~2 keV @ 60 keV). A stratospheric balloon-borne prototype of one of the MIRAX telescopes has been developed, tested and flown by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) as part of the ProtoEXIST program. In this paper we show results of validation and calibration tests with individual CZT detectors of the ProtoEXIST second generation experiment (P2). Each one of 64 detector units of the P2 detector plane consists of an ASIC, developed by Caltech for the NuSTAR telescope, hybridized to a CZT crystal with 0.6 mm pixel size. The performance of each detector was evaluated using radioactive sources in the laboratory. The calibration results show that the P2 detectors have average energy resolution of ~2.1 keV @ 60 keV and ~2.3 keV @ 122 keV. P2 was also successfully tested on near-space environment on a balloon flight, demonstrating the detector unit readiness for integration on a space mission telescope, as well as satisfying all MIRAX mission requirements.
A photon-counting silicon strip detector with two energy thresholds was investigated for spectral X-ray imaging in a mammography system. Preliminary studies already indicate clinical benefit of the detector, and the purpose of the present study is optimization with respect to energy resolution. Factors relevant for the energy response were measured, simulated, or gathered from previous studies, and used as input parameters to a cascaded detector model. Threshold scans over several X-ray spectra were used to calibrate threshold levels to energy, and to validate the model. The energy resolution of the detector assembly was assessed to range over DeltaE/E = 0.12-0.26 in the mammography region. Electronic noise dominated the peak broadening, followed by charge sharing between adjacent detector strips, and a channel-to-channel threshold spread. The energy resolution may be improved substantially if these effects are reduced to a minimum. Anti-coincidence logic mitigated double counting from charge sharing, but erased the energy resolution of all detected events, and optimization of the logic is desirable. Pile-up was found to be of minor importance at typical mammography rates.
The results of a BeppoSAX TOO observation of the BL Lac object Mkn421 during a high intensity state are reported and compared with monitoring X-ray data collected with the BeppoSAX Wide Field Cameras (WFC) and the RXTE All Sky Monitor(ASM). The 0.1-100 keV spectrum of Mkn421 shows continuous convex curvature that can be interpreted as the high-energy end of the synchrotron emission. The source shows significant short-term temporal and spectral variability, which can be interpreted in terms of synchrotron cooling. The comparison of our results with those of previous observations when the source was a factor 3-5 fainter shows evidence for strong spectral variability, with the maximum of the synchrotron power shifting to higher energy during high states. This behaviour suggest an increase in the number of energetic electrons during high states.
A hybrid pixel detector based on the concept of simultaneous charge integration and photon counting will be presented. The second generation of a counting and integrating X-ray prototype CMOS chip (CIX) has been operated with different direct converting sensor materials (CdZnTe and CdTe) bump bonded to its 8x8 pixel matrix. Photon counting devices give excellent results for low to medium X-ray fluxes but saturate at high rates while charge integration allows the detection of very high fluxes but is limited at low rates by the finite signal to noise ratio. The combination of both signal processing concepts therefore extends the resolvable dynamic range of the X-ray detector. In addition, for a large region of the dynamic range, where counter and integrator operate simultaneously, the mean energy of the detected X-ray spectrum can be calculated. This spectral information can be used to enhance the contrast of the X-ray image. The advantages of the counting and integrating signal processing concept and the performance of the imaging system will be reviewed. The properties of the system with respect to dynamic range and sensor response will be discussed and examples of imaging with additional spectral information will be presented.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
