In-orbit performance and calibration of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA)

Keith Jahoda; Jean H. Swank; Alan B. Giles; Michael J. Stark; Tod Strohmayer; William W. Zhang; Edward H. Morgan

doi:10.1117/12.256034

31 October 1996 In-orbit performance and calibration of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA)

Keith Jahoda, Jean H. Swank, Alan B. Giles, Michael J. Stark, Tod Strohmayer, William W. Zhang, Edward H. Morgan

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2808, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy VII; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.256034
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1996, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The proportional counter array (PCA) is designed to perform microsecond timing of bright galactic sources and broad band, confusion limited, studies of faint extragalactic sources in the 2 - 60 keV x-ray band. The PCA was launched as part of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite into a circular orbit of altitude 580 km and 23 degrees inclination on December 30, 1995. The mission contains three experiments: a set of large area xenon proportional counters sensitive from 2 - 60 keV (proportional counter array: PCA), a set of large area sodium iodide scintillators sensitive from 15 - 200 keV (high energy x-ray timing experiment: HEXTE), and three wide field of view scanning detectors which monitor most of the sky each orbit (all sky monitor: ASM). The goals of the mission are summarized by Swank et al. We present performance and calibration data on the measured and predicted in-orbit background, energy response, relative and absolute timing performance, and the operational possibilities made available with the high performance experiment data system (EDS) designed and built by MIT.

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Keith Jahoda, Jean H. Swank, Alan B. Giles, Michael J. Stark, Tod Strohmayer, William W. Zhang, and Edward H. Morgan "In-orbit performance and calibration of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA)", Proc. SPIE 2808, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, (31 October 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.256034

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