Second generation crystals for Laue lens applications

N. Barrière; P. von Ballmoos; P. Bastie; P. Courtois; N. V. Abrosimov; K. Andersen; H. Halloin; G. Skinner

doi:10.1117/12.672363

27 June 2006 Second generation crystals for Laue lens applications

N. Barrière, P. von Ballmoos, P. Bastie, P. Courtois, N. V. Abrosimov, K. Andersen, H. Halloin, G. Skinner

Proceedings Volume 6266, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation II: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 62662D (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.672363
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

A Laue lens gamma-ray telescope represents an exciting concept for a future high-energy mission. The feasibility of such a lens has been demonstrated by the CLAIRE lens prototype; since then various mission concepts featuring a Laue lens are being developed. The latest, which is also the most ambitious, is the European Gamma-Ray Imager (GRI). However, advancing from the CLAIRE prototype to a scientifically exploitable Laue lens requires still substantial research and development. First and foremost, diffracting elements (crystals) that constitute the Laue lens have to be optimized to offer the best efficiency and imaging capabilities for the resulting telescope. The characteristics of selected candidate crystals were measured at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility on the high-energy beamline ID 15A using a beam tuned at 292 keV. The studied low mosaicity copper crystals have shown absolute reflectivity reaching 30%. These crystals are promising for the realization of a Laue lens, despite the fact that they produce a diffracted beam featuring a Gaussian intensity profile, which contributes to the spread of the focal spot. A composition gradient Si_1-x-Ge_x crystal has been investigated as well, which showed a diffraction efficiency reaching 50% (disregarding absorption) - half of the theoretical maximum - that represents an absolute reflectivity around 39 %, the best that we measured at this energy to date. This gradient crystal also showed a square-shaped rocking curve that is almost the best case to minimize the spread of the focal spot. We also show that bending a gradient crystal could still enhance the focusing. Thanks to the better focusing, a factor of 2 in sensitivity improvement may be achieved.

Citation Download Citation

N. Barrière, P. von Ballmoos, P. Bastie, P. Courtois, N. V. Abrosimov, K. Andersen, H. Halloin, and G. Skinner "Second generation crystals for Laue lens applications", Proc. SPIE 6266, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation II: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 62662D (27 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.672363

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