The AGILE Mission will explore the gamma-ray Universe with a very innovative instrument combining for the first time a gamma-ray imager (sensitive in the range 30 MeV - 50 GeV) and a hard X-ray imager (sensitive in the range 15-45 keV). An optimal angular resolution and a large field of view are obtained by the use of state-of-the-art Silicon detectors integrated in a very compact instrument. AGILE will be operational at the beginning of 2007 and it will provide crucial data for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma-Ray Bursts, unidentified gamma-ray sources, Galactic compact objects, supernova remnants, TeV sources, and fundamental physics by microsecond timing.
AGILE is an ASI gamma-ray astrophysics space Mission which will operate in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV range with imaging capabilities also in the 10 - 40 keV range. Primary scientific goals include the study of AGNs, gamma-ray bursts, Galactic sources, unidentified gamma-ray sources, diffuse Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray emission, high-precision timing studies, and Quantum Gravity testing. The AGILE scientific instrument is based on an innovative design of three detecting systems: (1) a Silicon Tracker, (2) a Mini-Calorimeter, and (3) an ultralight coded mask system with Si-detectors (Super-AGILE). AGILE is designed to provide: (1) excellent imaging in the energy bands 30 MeV-50 GeV (5-10 arcmin for intense sources) and 10-40 keV (1-3 arcmin); (2) optimal timing capabilities, with independent readout systems and minimal deadtimes for the Silicon Tracker, Super-AGILE and Mini-Calorimeter; (3) large field of view for the gamma-ray imaging detector (~3 sr) and Super-AGILE (~1 sr). AGILE will be the only Mission entirely dedicated to source detection above 30 MeV during the period 2004-2006.
KEYWORDS: Silicon, Sensors, Signal processing, X-ray detectors, Gamma radiation, Carbon, Signal to noise ratio, Silicon carbide, Particles, Data acquisition
AGILE is a light and effective instrument for the detection of gamma-ray sources in the energy range 30 MeV - 50 GeV within a large field of view. The instrument is planned to fly in the years 2002 - 2005, a period in which no other gamma-ray mission in the same energy range is foreseen. AGILE is made of a tungsten-silicon tracker, a CsI minicalorimeter, an anticoincidence system and an X-ray detector (10 - 40 keV). The tracker consists of 14 planes, each made of 2 layers of 16 single-sided, AC coupled, 410 micrometer thick silicon detectors. Each detector covers an area of 9.5 X 9.5 cm2 and has a readout pitch of 242 micrometer with one floating strip. Four silicon detectors are bonded together creating a 'ladder' 38 cm long. The total number of readout channels is around 37000. The readout chip is the TAA1 (IDE- AS, Norway), an analog-digital, self triggering chip used in a very low power configuration (400 (mu) W/channel). A prototype silicon ladder and the complete readout chain have been tested at the CERN PS in July 1999. The final ladder has been tested in May 2000. We present the noise performances of the readout electronics in the very low power configuration, and the testbeam results obtained with the full AGILE ladder. The results are compared with GEANT simulations.
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