Kavli Affiliate: Noah Kurinsky
| First 5 Authors: Samuel V. Hull, Joseph S. Adams, Simon R. Bandler, Matthew Cherry, James A. Chervenak
| Summary:
Microcalorimeter instruments aboard future X-ray observatories will require
an anti-coincidence (anti-co) detector to veto charged particle events and
reduce the non-X-ray background. We have developed a large-format, TES-based
prototype anti-coincidence detector that is particularly suitable for use with
spatially-extended (~ 10 cm^2}) TES microcalorimeter arrays, as would be used
for a future large field-of-view X-ray missions. This prototype was developed
in the context of the Line Emission Mapper (LEM) probe concept, which required
a ~ 14 cm^2 anti-co detector with > 95% live time and a low-energy threshold
below 20 keV. Our anti-co design employs parallel networks of
quasiparticle-trap-assisted electrothermal feedback TESs (QETs) to detect the
athermal phonon signal produced in the detector substrate by incident charged
particles. We developed multiple prototype anti-co designs featuring 12
channels and up to 6300 QETs. Here we focus on a design utilizing tungsten TESs
and present characterization results. Broad energy range measurements have been
performed (4.1 keV — 5.5 MeV). Based on noise and responsivity measurements,
the implied low-energy threshold is < 1 keV and a live time fraction of > 96%
can be achieved up to 5.5 MeV. We also find evidence of mm-scale-or-better
spatial resolution and discuss the potential utility of this for future
missions. Finally, we discuss the early development of a soild-state physics
model of the anti-co towards understanding phonon propagation and quasiparticle
production in the detector.
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