CdZnTe background measurements at balloon altitudes

Ann M. Parsons; Scott D. Barthelmy; Lyle M. Bartlett; F. B. Birsa; Neil A. Gehrels; Juan E. Naya; James L. Odom; S. Singh; Carl Michael Stahle; Jack Tueller; Bonnard J. Teegarden

doi:10.1117/12.254015

18 October 1996 CdZnTe background measurements at balloon altitudes

Ann M. Parsons, Scott D. Barthelmy, Lyle M. Bartlett, F. B. Birsa, Neil A. Gehrels, Juan E. Naya, James L. Odom, S. Singh, Carl Michael Stahle, Jack Tueller, Bonnard J. Teegarden

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2806, Gamma-Ray and Cosmic-Ray Detectors, Techniques, and Missions; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.254015
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1996, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

Because of its high atomic number and convenient room temperature operation, CdZnTe has great potential for use in both balloon and space borne hard x-ray (5 - 200 keV) astrophysics experiments. Here we present preliminary results from the first CdZnTe background measurements made by a balloon instrument. Measurements of the CdZnTe internal background are essential to determine which physical processes make the most important background contributions and are critical in the design of future scientific instruments. The PoRTIA CdZnTe balloon instrument was flown three times in three different shielding configurations. PoRTIA was passively shielded during its first flight from Palestine, Texas and actively shielded as a piggyback instrument on the GRIS balloon experiment during flights 2 and 3 from Alice Springs, Australia. PoRTIA flew twice during the Fall 1995 Alice Springs, Australia campaign using the thick GRIS NaI anticoincidence shield. A significant CdZnTe background reduction was achieved during the third flight with PoRTIA placed completely inside the GRIS shield and blocking crystal, and thus completely surrounded by 15 cm of NaI. These background results are presented and contributions from different background processes are discussed.

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Ann M. Parsons, Scott D. Barthelmy, Lyle M. Bartlett, F. B. Birsa, Neil A. Gehrels, Juan E. Naya, James L. Odom, S. Singh, Carl Michael Stahle, Jack Tueller, and Bonnard J. Teegarden "CdZnTe background measurements at balloon altitudes", Proc. SPIE 2806, Gamma-Ray and Cosmic-Ray Detectors, Techniques, and Missions, (18 October 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.254015

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