In the last ten years silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have gained terrain in experiments and applications in which photomultiplier tubes have been the dominant photosensors during decades. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) for very high energy (VHE, E$>$50 GeV) gamma-ray astronomy are experiencing the same process. Until now FACT was the only IACT using SiPMs. In the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation VHE gamma-ray observatory, at least 70 telescopes equipped with SiPMs are planned to be built. The first prototypes have already been constructed and are now being commissioned. Here we discuss some of the advantages and drawbacks of using SiPMs in VHE gamma-ray astronomy and provide a brief overview of different developments related to the use of SiPMs in IACTs.
Silicon-based vacuum window for millimeter and submillimeter-wave astrophysics
Okayama University（冈山大学）；University of Minnesota, Twin Cities（明尼苏达大学双城分校）；The University of Tokyo（东京大学）；Delft University of Technology（代尔夫特理工大学）；Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)（荷兰空间研究所）；Laser Zentrum Hannover（汉诺威激光中心）；Institute for Photon Science and Technology (IPST), The University of Tokyo（东京大学光子科学技术研究院）；Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo（东京大学宇宙物理数学研究所（WPI））；Center for Data Driven Discovery (CD3), Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU), The University of Tokyo（东京大学宇宙物理数学研究所数据驱动发现中心）；ILANCE, CNRS, University of Tokyo International Research Laboratory（日本理化学研究所-东京大学国际联合实验室）
This paper details preliminary photon measurements with the monolithic silicon detector ATLASPix, a pixel detector built and optimized for the CERN experiment ATLAS. The goal of this paper is to determine the promise of pixelated silicon in future space-based gamma-ray experiments. With this goal in mind, radioactive photon sources were used to determine the energy resolution and detector response of ATLASPix; these are novel measurements for ATLASPix, a detector built for a ground-based particle accelerator. As part of this project a new iteration of monolithic Si pixels, named AstroPix, have…
Multi-pixel fast silicon detectors represent the enabling technology for the next generation of space-borne experiments devoted to high-resolution spectral-timing studies of low-flux compact cosmic sources. Several imaging detectors based on frame-integration have been developed as focal plane devices for X-ray space-borne missions but, when coupled to large-area concentrator X-ray optics, these detectors are affected by strong pile-up and dead-time effects, thus limiting the time and energy resolution as well as the overall system sensitivity. The current technological gap in the capability t…
This paper explores the potential of AstroPix, a project to develop Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) pixels for the next generation of space-based high-energy astrophysics experiments. Multimessenger astrophysics is a rapidly developing field whose upcoming missions need support from new detector technology such as AstroPix. ATLASPix, a monolithic silicon detector optimized for the ATLAS particle detector at CERN, is the beginning of the larger AstroPix project. Energy resolution is a driving parameter in the reconstruction of gamma-ray events, and therefore the characterization …
We characterized the S14160-3050HS Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC), a high efficiency, single channel silicon photomultiplier manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. All measurements were performed at a room temperature of (23.0 $\pm$ 0.3) $^{\circ}$C. We obtained an I-V curve and used relative derivatives to find a breakdown voltage of 38.88 V. At a 3 V over voltage, we find a dark count rate of 1.08 MHz, crosstalk probability of 21 $\%$, photon detection efficiency of 55 $\%$ at 450 nm, and saturation at 1.0x10$^{11}$ photons per second. The S14160-3050HS MPPC is a candidate detector for …
We present here a study of the use of the SiAl alloy CE7 for the packaging of silicon devices at cryogenic temperatures. We report on the development of baseplates and feedhorn arrays for millimeter wave bolometric detectors for astrophysics. Existing interfaces to such detectors are typically made either of metals, which are easy to machine but mismatched to the thermal contraction profile of Si devices, or of silicon, which avoids the mismatch but is difficult to directly machine. CE7 exhibits properties of both Si and Al, which makes it uniquely well suited for this application. We measure …
We advocate support of research aimed at developing alternatives to the photomultiplier tube for photon detection in large astroparticle experiments such as gamma-ray and neutrino astronomy, and direct dark matter detectors. Specifically, we discuss the development of large area photocathode microchannel plate photomultipliers and silicon photomultipliers. Both technologies have the potential to exhibit improved photon detection efficiency compared to existing glass vacuum photomultiplier tubes.
The energy range between about 100 keV and 1 GeV is of interest for a vast class of astrophysical topics. In particular, (1) it is the missing ingredient for understanding extreme processes in the multi-messenger era; (2) it allows localizing cosmic-ray interactions with background material and radiation in the Universe, and spotting the reprocessing of these particles; (3) last but not least, gamma-ray emission lines trace the formation of elements in the Galaxy and beyond. In addition, studying the still largely unexplored MeV domain of astronomy would provide for a rich observatory science,…
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are commonly used to efficiently process the signals from sensors and detectors in space. Wire bonding is a space qualified technique of making interconnections between ASICs and their substrate packaging board for power, control and readout of the ASICs. Wire bonding is nearly ubiquitous in modern space programs, but their exposed wires can be prone to damage during assembly and subject to electric interference during operations. Additional space around the ASICs needed for wire bonding also impedes efficient packaging of large arrays of detect…
A future compact and modular X and gamma-ray spectrometer (XGS) has been designed and a series of prototypes have been developed and tested. The experiment envisages the use of CsI scintillator bars read out at both ends by single-cell 25 mm2 Silicon Drift Detectors. Digital algorithms are used to discriminate between events absorbed in the Silicon layer (lower energy X rays) and events absorbed in the scintillator crystal (higher energy X rays and gamma-rays). The prototype characterization is shown and the modular design for future experiments with possible astrophysical applications (e.g. f…
We characterized the S13360-3050CS Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC), a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.. Measurements were obtained inside a light tight dark box using 365 nm, 400 nm, 525 nm, 660 nm, 720 nm, 810 nm, and 900 nm light-emitting diodes (LED) and the Citiroc 1A front-end evaluation system manufactured by Weeroc. At a 2.95V over voltage, we measured a dark count rate of 5.07x$10^{5}$ counts per second at 26$^{\circ}$C, crosstalk probability of 8.7$\%$, photon detection efficiency of 36$\%$ at 400 nm, linear range of 1.8x$10^{7}$ photons per se…
Curving X-ray detectors for astrophysics applications
Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院卡弗里天体物理学与空间研究学院）；Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院林肯实验室）
The next generation magnetic spectrometer in space, AMS-100, is designed to have a geometrical acceptance of $100\,\mathrm{m}^2\,\mathrm{sr}$ and to be operated for at least ten years at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2. Compared to existing experiments, it will improve the sensitivity for the observation of new phenomena in cosmic rays, and in particular in cosmic antimatter, by at least a factor of 1000. The magnet design is based on high temperature superconductor tapes, which allow the construction of a thin solenoid with a homogeneous magnetic field of 1 Tesla inside. The inner volume is in…
In our Ultra-Fast Astronomy (UFA) program, we aim to improve measurements of variability of astronomical targets on millisecond and shorter time scales. In this work, we present initial on-sky measurements of the performance of silicon photomultiplier detectors (SiPMs) for UFA. We mounted two different SiPMs at the focal plane of the 0.7-meter aperture Nazarbayev University Transient Telescope at the Assy-Turgen Astrophysical Observatory (NUTTelA-TAO), with no filter in front of the detector. The $3mm\times3mm$ SiPM single-channel detectors have a field of view of $2.2716'\times2.2716'$. Durin…
A high-energy photon polarimeter for astrophysics studies in the energy range from 10 MeV to 800 MeV is considered. The proposed concept uses a stack of silicon micro-strip detectors where they play the roles of both a converter and a tracker. The purpose of this paper is to outline the parameters of such a polarimeter and to estimate the productivity of measurements. Our study supported by a Monte Carlo simulation shows that with a one-year observation period the polarimeter will provide 6% accuracy of the polarization degree for photon energies above 100 MeV, which would be a significant adv…
Among the top priorities for high-energy astronomy in the coming decade are sensitive surveys in the hard X-ray/soft γ-ray (10-600 keV) and medium-energy γ-ray (0.2-80 MeV) bands. Historically, observations in the soft and medium energy γ-ray bands have been conducted using detectors based on inorganic scintillators read out by photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs). These observations were limited by the modest energy and time resolution of traditional scintillator materials (e.g. NaI and CsI), and by the demands on mission resources imposed by the bulky, fragile, high-voltage PMTs. Recent technologic…
The Universe Observed with Particle Detectors: Astrophysical Legacy of Guido Barbiellini Amidei
Sapienza, University of Roma（罗马大学）；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)（意大利国家核物理研究所）；Centro di Ricerche E. Fermi（费米研究中心）；Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica（意大利国家天体物理研究所）
A future mission in medium-energy gamma-ray astrophysics would allow for many scientific advancements, e.g. a possible explanation for the excess positron emission from the Galactic Center, a better understanding of nucleosynthesis and explosion mechanisms in Type Ia supernovae, and a look at the physical forces at play in compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars. Additionally, further observation in this energy regime would significantly extend the search parameter space for low-mass dark matter. In order to achieve these objectives, an instrument with good energy resolution, goo…
Cosmic neutrinos are unique probes of the high energy universe. IceCube has discovered a diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux since 2013, but their origin remains elusive. The potential sources could include, for example, active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts and star burst galaxies. To resolve those scenarios, higher statistics and better angular resolution of astrophysical neutrinos are needed. An optical module with larger photon collection area and more precise timing resolution in a next generation neutrino telescope could help. Silicon photon multipliers (SiPMs), with high quantum effi…
The last decade has increasingly seen the use of silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) instead of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). This is due to various advantages of the former on the latter like its smaller size, lower operating voltage, higher detection efficiency, insensitivity to magnetic fields and mechanical robustness to launch vibrations. All these features make SiPMs ideal for use on space based experiments where the detectors require to be compact, lightweight and capable of surviving launch conditions. A downside with the use of this novel type of detector in space conditions is its susce…
Several high priority subjects in astrophysics can be addressed by a state-of-the-art soft x-ray grating spectrometer (XGS). An Explorer-scale, large-area (> 1,000 cm2), high resolving power (R > 3,000) XGS is highly feasible based on Critical-Angle Transmission (CAT) gratings, even for telescopes with angular resolution of 5-10 arcsec. Significantly higher performance can be provided by a CAT XGS on an X-ray-Surveyor-type mission. CAT gratings combine the advantages of blazed reflection gratings (high efficiency, use of higher diffraction orders) with those of transmission gratings (low mass,…
High-energy phenomena in the cosmos, and in particular processes leading to the emission of gamma- rays in the energy range 10 MeV - 100 GeV, play a very special role in the understanding of our Universe. This energy range is indeed associated with non-thermal phenomena and challenging particle acceleration processes. The technology involved in detecting gamma-rays is challenging and drives our ability to develop improved instruments for a large variety of applications. GAMMA-LIGHT is a Small Mission which aims at an unprecedented advance of our knowledge in many sectors of astrophysical and E…
The First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) is the first in-operation test of the performance of silicon photo detectors in Cherenkov Astronomy. For more than two years it is operated on La Palma, Canary Islands (Spain), for the purpose of long-term monitoring of astrophysical sources. For this, the performance of the photo detectors is crucial and therefore has been studied in great detail. Special care has been taken for their temperature and voltage dependence implementing a correction method to keep their properties stable. Several measurements have been carried out to monitor the performan…
GRAVITAS is an X-ray observatory, designed and optimised to address the ESA Cosmic Vision theme of "Matter under extreme conditions". It was submitted as a response to the call for M3 mission proposals. The concept centres around an X-ray telescope of unprecedented effective area, which will focus radiation emitted from close to the event horizon of black holes or the surface of neutron stars. To reveal the nature and behaviour of matter in the most extreme astrophysical environments, GRAVITAS targets a key feature in the X-ray spectra of compact objects: the iron Kalpha line at ~6.5 keV. The …
Owing to their high photon detection efficiency, compactness, and low operating voltage, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have found widespread application in many fields, including medical imaging, particle physics, and high-energy astrophysics. However, the so-called optical crosstalk (OCT) phenomenon of SiPMs is a major drawback to their adoption. Secondary infrared photons are emitted inside the silicon substrate spontaneously after the avalanche process caused by the primary incident photons, and they can be detected by the surrounding photodiodes. As a result large output pulses that are…
The detection of astrophysical Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) has always been intertwined with the challenge of identifying the direction of the source. Accurate angular localization of better than a degree has been achieved to date only with heavy instruments on large satellites, and a limited field of view. The recent discovery of the association of GRBs with neutron star mergers gives new motivation for observing the entire $γ$-ray sky at once with high sensitivity and accurate directional capability. We present a novel $γ$-ray detector concept, which utilizes the mutual occultation between many s…
We have measured the energies of the strongest 1s-2ell (ell=s,p) transitions in He- through Ne-like silicon and sulfur ions to an accuracy of better than 1eV using Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's electron beam ion traps, EBIT-I and SuperEBIT, and the NASA/GSFC EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer (ECS). We identify and measure the energies of 18 and 21 X-ray features from silicon and sulfur, respectively. The results are compared to new Flexible Atomic Code calculations and to semi-relativistic Hartree Fock calculations by Palmeri et al. (2008). These results will be especially useful for wi…
The future missions for astrophysical studies in the submillimeter region will need detectors with very high sensitivity and large field of view. Bolometer arrays can fulfill these requirements over a very broad band. We describe a technique that enables bolometer arrays that use quarter wave cavities to have a high spectral response over most of the submillimeter band. This technique is based on the addition on the front of the array of an anti-reflecting dielectric layer. The optimum parameters (layer thickness and distance to the array) are determined by a 2D analytic code. This general pri…
The All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory (AMEGO) is a Probe-class mission concept that will provide essential contributions to multimessenger astrophysics in the next decade. AMEGO operates both as a Compton and pair telescope to achieve unprecedented sensitivity between 200 keV and $>$5 GeV. The instrument consists of four subsystems. A double-sided strip silicon Tracker gives a precise measure of the first Compton scatter interaction and tracks of pair-conversion products. A novel CdZnTe Low Energy Calorimeter with excellent position and energy resolution surrounds the bottom and side…
Optimizing the light output of a plastic scintillator and SiPM based detector through optical characterization and simulation: A case study for POLAR-2
The detection of astrophysical neutrinos by IceCube and the potential to constrain source models of ultra-high energy cosmic rays provide the motivation to develop instruments for the observation of neutrinos above $10^7$ GeV. Among the different techniques to detect ultra-high energy neutrinos is the Earth-skimming technique. It makes use of the fact that the tau produced in a tau neutrino interaction inside the Earth can emerge from the ground and initiate an upward-going particle shower in the atmosphere. The particle shower and thus the neutrino can be reconstructed by measuring the Cheren…
There is growing interest in high-energy astrophysics community for the development of sensitive instruments in the hard X-ray energy extending to few hundred keV. This requires position sensitive detector modules with high efficiency in the hard X-ray energy range. Here, we present development of a detector module, which consists of 25 mm x 25 mm CeBr3 scintillation detector, read out by a custom designed two dimensional array of Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM). Readout of common cathode of SiPMs provides the spectral measurement whereas the readout of individual SiPM anodes provides measure…
The small size telescopes (SSTs), spread over an area of several square km, dominate the CTA sensitivity in the photon energy range from a few TeV to over 100 TeV, enabling for the detailed exploration of the very high energy gamma-ray sky. The proposed telescopes are innovative designs providing a wide field of view. Two of them, the ASTRI (Astrophysics con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana) and the GCT (Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope) telescopes, are based on dual mirror Schwarzschild-Couder optics, with primary mirror diameters of 4 m. The third, SST-1M, is a Davies-Cotton design with…
We present a study of the Angular Resolution of the AGILE gamma-ray imaging detector (GRID) that is operational in space since April 2007. The AGILE instrument is made of an array of 12 planes each equipped with a Tungsten converter and Silicon micros trip detectors and is sensitive in the energy range 50 MeV - 10 GeV. Among the space instruments devoted to gamma-ray astrophysics, AGILE uniquely exploits an analog readout system with dedicated electronics coupled with Silicon detectors. We show the results of Monte Carlo simulations carried out to reproduce the gamma-ray detection by the GRID,…
OWL uses the Earth's atmosphere as a vast calorimeter to fully enable the emerging field of charged-particle astronomy with high-statistics measurements of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) and a search for sources of UHE neutrinos and photons. Confirmation of the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) suppression above ~4 x 10^19 eV suggests that most UHECR originate in astrophysical objects. Higher energy particles must come from sources within about 100 Mpc and are deflected by ~1 degree by predicted intergalactic/galactic magnetic fields. The Pierre Auger Array, Telescope Array and the future J…
AGILE is a mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Scientific Program dedicated to gamma-ray astrophysics, operating in a low Earth orbit since April 23, 2007. It is designed to be a very light and compact instrument, capable of simultaneously detecting and imaging photons in the 18 keV to 60 keV X-ray energy band and in the 30 MeV{50 GeV gamma-ray energy with a good angular resolution (< 1 deg at 1 GeV). The core of the instrument is the Silicon Tracker complemented with a CsI calorimeter and a AntiCoincidence system forming the Gamma Ray Imaging Detector (GRID). Before launch, the GRID nee…
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a large collaborative effort aimed at the design and operation of an observatory dedicated to very high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics in the energy range from a few tens of GeV to above 100 TeV, which will yield about an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity with respect to the current major arrays (H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS). Within this framework, the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics is leading the ASTRI project, whose main goals are the design and installation on Mt. Etna (Sicily) of an end-to-end dual-mirror prototype of the CTA …
Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy in the Very High Energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) regime has fast become one of the most interesting and productive sub-fields of astrophysics today. Utilizing the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique (IACT) to reconstruct the energy and direction of incoming gamma-ray photons from the universe, several source-classes have been revealed by previous and current generations of IACT telescopes (e.g. Whipple, MAGIC, HESS and VERITAS). The next generation pointing IACT experiment, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), will provide increased sensitivity across a wider energ…
HERMES (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites) is a space-borne mission based on a constellation of nano-satellites flying in a low-Earth orbit (LEO). The six 3U CubeSat buses host new miniaturized instruments hosting a hybrid Silicon Drift Detector/GAGG:Ce scintillator photodetector system sensitive to X-rays and gamma-rays. HERMES will probe the temporal emission of bright high-energy transients such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), ensuring a fast transient localization (with arcmin-level accuracy) in a field of view of several steradians exploiting the triangulation technique. With a…
There is a growing interest in the science uniquely enabled by observations in the MeV range, particularly in light of multi-messenger astrophysics. The Compton Pair (ComPair) telescope, a prototype of the AMEGO Probe-class concept, consists of four subsystems that together detect and characterize gamma rays in the MeV regime. A double-sided strip silicon Tracker gives a precise measure of the first Compton scatter interaction and tracks pair-conversion products. A novel cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector with excellent position and energy resolution beneath the Tracker detects the Compton-…
With the development of the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique (IACT), Gamma-ray astronomy has become one of the most interesting and productive fields of astrophysics. Current IACT telescope arrays (MAGIC, H.E.S.S, VERITAS) use photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to detect the optical/near-UV Cherenkov radiation emitted due to the interaction of gamma rays with the atmosphere. For the next generation of IACT experiments, the possibility of replacing the PMTs with Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) is being studied. Among the main drawbacks of SiPMs are their limited active area (leading to an inc…
We describe the instrument concept of a high angular resolution telescope dedicated to the sub-GeV (from $\gtrsim$10 MeV to $\gtrsim$1 GeV) gamma-ray photon detection. This mission, named PANGU (PAir-productioN Gamma-ray Unit), has been suggested as a candidate for the joint small mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). A wide range of topics of both astronomy and fundamental physics can be attacked with PANGU, covering Galactic and extragalactic cosmic-ray physics, extreme physics of a variety of extended (e.g. supernova remnants, galaxies, ga…
e-ASTROGAM (enhanced ASTROGAM) is a breakthrough Observatory space mission, with a detector composed by a Silicon tracker, a calorimeter, and an anticoincidence system, dedicated to the study of the non-thermal Universe in the photon energy range from 0.3 MeV to 3 GeV - the lower energy limit can be pushed to energies as low as 150 keV for the tracker, and to 30 keV for calorimetric detection. The mission is based on an advanced space-proven detector technology, with unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolution, combined with polarimetric capability. Thanks to its performance in th…
