X-ray microcalorimeters with germanium-resistance thermometers

Simon E. Labov; Eric H. Silver; Timothy E. Pfafman; Yolanda C. Wai; Jeffrey W. Beeman; Fred S. Goulding; Don A. Landis; Norman W. Madden; Eugene E. Haller

doi:10.1117/12.23257

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1 November 1990 X-ray microcalorimeters with germanium-resistance thermometers

Simon E. Labov, Eric H. Silver, Timothy E. Pfafman, Yolanda C. Wai, Jeffrey W. Beeman, Fred S. Goulding, Don A. Landis, Norman W. Madden, Eugene E. Haller

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Proceedings Volume 1344, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.23257
Event: 34th Annual International Technical Symposium on Optical and Optoelectronic Applied Science and Engineering, 1990, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

We report on the current status of our work on x-ray microcalorimeters for use as high resolution x-ray spectrometers. To maximize the x-ray collecting area and the signal to noise ratio, the total heat capacity of the device must be minimized. This is best achieved if the calorimeter is divided into two components, a thermal sensor and an x-ray absorber. The thermal sensor is a neutron transmutation doped (NTD) germanium resistor made as small as possible to minimize the heat capacity of the calorimeter. The thermistor can be attached to a thin x-ray absorber with large area and low heat capacity fabricated from superconducting materials such as niobium. We discuss results from our most recent studies of such superconducting absorbers and present the x-ray spectra obtained with these composite microcalorimeters at a temperature of 0. 1 K. An energy resolution of 19 eV FWHM has been measured.

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Simon E. Labov, Eric H. Silver, Timothy E. Pfafman, Yolanda C. Wai, Jeffrey W. Beeman, Fred S. Goulding, Don A. Landis, Norman W. Madden, and Eugene E. Haller "X-ray microcalorimeters with germanium-resistance thermometers", Proc. SPIE 1344, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy, (1 November 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.23257

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