Related papers: Proportional counters and microchannel plates
The next generation of weak lensing surveys will measure the matter distribution of the local Universe with unprecedented precision, allowing the resolution of non-Gaussian features of the convergence field. This encourages the use of…
The gaseous proportional counter is a device that can be used to detect ionizing radiation. These devices can be as simple as a cylindrical cathode and a very thin anode wire centered along its axis. By applying a high voltage, a strong…
As an X-ray and gamma-ray all-sky monitor aiming for high energy astrophysical transients, Gravitational-wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) has also made a series of observational discoveries on burst…
X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration…
In camera measurement systems, specialized equipment such as telecentric lenses is often employed to measure parts with narrow tolerances. However, despite the use of such equipment, measurement errors can occur due to mechanical and…
Electron Multiplying CCDs (EMCCDs) are used much less often than they might be because of the challenges they offer camera designers more comfortable with the design of slow-scan detector systems. However they offer an entirely new range of…
I present a review of astrometric techniques and instrumentation utilized to search for, detect, and characterize extra-solar planets. First, I briefly summarize the properties of the present-day sample of extrasolar planets, in connection…
X-Ray Polarimetry can be now performed by using a Micro Pattern Gas Chamber in the focus of a telescope. It requires large area optics for most important scientific targets. But since the technique is additive a dedicated mission with a…
The first half of this paper explores the origin of systematic biases in the measurement of weak gravitational lensing. Compared to previous work, we expand the investigation of PSF instability and fold in for the first time the effects of…
Astronomers working with faint targets will benefit greatly from improved image quality on current and planned ground-based telescopes. At present, most adaptive optic systems are targeted at the highest resolution with bright guide stars.…
I discuss some practical aspects of the analysis of millisecond time variability X-ray data obtained from accreting neutron stars and black holes. First I give an account of the statistical methods that are at present commonly applied in…
The great success of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) has given us a new probe to study strong gravitational fields and to measure the physical properties of black holes and neutron stars. Here, we describe a "next-generation" x-ray…
Currently a revolution is taking place in the development of gaseous detectors of photons and particles. Parallel plate-type and wire-type detectors which dominated for years in high energy and space flight experiments are now being…
Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) featuring 1 mm gas volumes combined with high-pressure phenolic laminate (HPL) electrodes provide excellent timing resolution down to a few hundred picoseconds, along with spatial resolution on the order of a…
The spectrum of laser-plasma generated X-rays is very important, it characterizes electron dynamics in plasma and is basic for applications. However, the accuracies and efficiencies of existing methods to diagnose the spectrum of…
It is widely believed that adaptive optics only has a role in correcting turbulent wavefronts on large telescopes using very bright reference stars. Unfortunately these are very scarce and many astronomical targets require wavefront…
The Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs) provide excellent timing as well as position resolutions at relatively low cost. Therefore, they can be used in medical imaging applications such as PET where precise timing is a crucial…
Empirical studies of the first generation of stars and quasars will likely become feasible within the next decade in several different wavelength bands. Microwave anisotropy experiments, such as MAP or Planck, will set constraints on the…
Astrometry provides the foundation for astrophysics. Accurate positions are required for the association of sources detected at different times or wavelengths, and distances are essential to estimate the size, luminosity, mass, and ages of…
We introduce a new method of searching for and characterizing extra-solar planets. We show that by monitoring the center-of-light motion of microlensing alerts using the next generation of high precision astrometric instruments the…