# The high resolution X-ray imaging detector planes for the MIRAX mission

 Title: The high resolution X-ray imaging detector planes for the MIRAX mission Author: Rodrigues, Bárbara H. G.; Grindlay, Jonathan E.; Allen, Branden T; Hong, Jaesub; Barthelmy, Scott; Braga, João; D’Amico, Flavio; Rothschild, Richard E. Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. Citation: Rodrigues, B H G, J E Grindlay, B Allen, J Hong, S Barthelmy, J Braga, F D’Amico, and R E Rothschild. 2013. “The High Resolution X-Ray Imaging Detector Planes for the MIRAX Mission.” Journal of Instrumentation 8 (09) (September 1): P09010–P09010. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/8/09/p09010. Full Text & Related Files: Rodrigues_HighResolution.pdf (10.05Mb; PDF) Abstract: 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-masks 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 (60° × 60° 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 0.6mm 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 @ 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. Published Version: doi:10.1088/1748-0221/8/09/P09010 Other Sources: http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.3265 Terms of Use: This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#OAP Citable link to this page: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:14068410 Downloads of this work: