Development of large area Silicon Photomultipliers arrays for γ-ray spectroscopy applications

AbstractThe supernova remnant (SNR) Puppis A (aka G260.4-3.4) is a middle-aged supernova remnant, which displays increasing X-ray surface brightness from West to East corresponding to an increasing density of the ambient interstellar medium at the Eastern and Northern shell. The dense IR photon field and the high ambient density around the remnant make it an ideal case to study in γ-rays. Gamma-ray studies based on three years of observations with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard Fermi have revealed the high energy gamma-ray emission from SNR Puppis A. The γ-ray emission from the remnant is spatially extended, and nicely matches the radio and X-ray morphologies. Its γ-ray spectrum is well described by a simple power law with an index of ~2.1, and it is among the faintest supernova remnants yet detected at GeV energies. To constrain the relativistic electron population, seven years of Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data were also analyzed, and enabled to extend the radio spectrum up to 93 GHz. The results obtained in the radio and γ-ray domains are described in detail, as well as the possible origins of the high energy γ-ray emission (Bremsstrahlung, Inverse Compton scattering by electrons or decay of neutral pions produced by proton interactions).

Download Full-text

Imaging Performance of FIGARO-IV, A Large Area γ-Ray Telescope Above 100 MeV.

Imaging in High Energy Astronomy ◽

10.1007/978-94-011-0407-4_48 ◽

1995 ◽

pp. 301-304

Author(s):

B. Sacco ◽

O. Catalano ◽

M. C. Maccarone ◽

G. Gerardi ◽

E. Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Area ◽

Γ Ray ◽

Imaging Performance

Download Full-text

A Possible Discovery of a Flaring 1012 eV Gamma-Ray Source near the Red Dwarf EV Lac

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100034643 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 151 ◽

pp. 78-79

Author(s):

I.Yu. Alekseev ◽

N.N. Chalenko ◽

V.P. Fomin ◽

R.E. Gershberg ◽

O.R. Kalekin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gamma Ray ◽

Electronic Device ◽

Angular Size ◽

High Energy ◽

Optical Systems ◽

Relativistic Electrons ◽

Large Area ◽

Γ Rays ◽

Γ Ray ◽

Ev Lac

During the 1994 coordinated observations of the red dwarf flare star EV Lac, the star was monitored in the very high energy (VHE) γ-ray range around 1012 eV with the Crimean ground-based γ-ray telescope GT-48. This telescope consists of two identical optical systems (Vladimirsky et al. 1994) which were directed in parallel on EV Lac.The detection principle of the VHE γ-rays is based on the Čerenkov radiation emitted by relativistic electrons and positrons. The latter are generated in the interaction of the γ-rays with nuclei in the Earth’s atmosphere that leads to an appearance of a shower of charged particles and γ-quanta. The duration of the Cherenkov radiation flash is very short, just about a few nanoseconds. The angular size of the shower is ∼ 1°. To detect such flashes we use an optical system with large area mirrors and a set of 37 photomultipliers (PMs) in the focal plane. Using the information from these PMs which are spaced hexagonally and correspond to a field of view of 2°.6 on the sky, we can obtain the image of an optical flash. The electronic device permits us to detect nanosecond flashes (40 ns exposure time and 12 μs readout dead-time).

Download Full-text

A possible γ-ray quasi-periodic oscillation of ∼314 days in the blazar OJ 287

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa2899 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 499 (1) ◽

pp. 653-658

Author(s):

Pankaj Kushwaha ◽

Arkadipta Sarkar ◽

Alok C Gupta ◽

Ashutosh Tripathi ◽

Paul J Wiita

Keyword(s):

Light Curve ◽

Active Galactic Nuclei ◽

Galactic Nuclei ◽

Periodic Oscillation ◽

Large Area ◽

Quasi Periodic Oscillation ◽

Bl Lacertae ◽

Emission Models ◽

Γ Ray ◽

Blazar Oj 287

ABSTRACT We report the detection of a probable γ-ray quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) of around 314 d in the monthly binned 0.1–300 GeV γ-ray Fermi-Large Area Telescope light curve of the well-known BL Lacertae blazar OJ 287. To identify and quantify the QPO nature of the γ-ray light curve of OJ 287, we used the Lomb–Scargle periodogram (LSP), REDFIT, and weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ) analyses. We briefly discuss possible emission models for radio-loud active galactic nuclei that can explain a γ-ray QPO of such a period in a blazar.

Download Full-text

A geomagnetic filter for the Fermi-LAT background

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz2994 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 490 (4) ◽

pp. 5440-5450

Author(s):

D A Prokhorov ◽

A Moraghan

Keyword(s):

Charged Particles ◽

Discrete Source ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Shielding Effect ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Next Generation ◽

Large Area ◽

Star Forming ◽

Γ Rays ◽

Γ Ray

ABSTRACT One of the unsolved questions in γ-ray astronomy is whether the extragalactic γ-ray background is of the discrete-source origin. To respond to this question, one first needs to reduce the data by differentiating charged particles from γ-rays. This procedure is usually performed on the basis of the detector responses. In this paper, we showed that the geomagnetic shielding effect at GeV energies can, to some extent, be used for this purpose for γ-ray telescopes in a low Earth orbit. We illustrated this method by applying it to the Fermi Large Area Telescope data. To partially decompose the charge-filtered background, we examined the contribution from star-forming galaxies by implying a radio/γ-ray connection in consideration of next-generation radio surveys.

Download Full-text

Search for γ-ray emission from superluminous supernovae with the Fermi-LAT

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201730741 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 611 ◽

pp. A45 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

N. Renault-Tinacci ◽

K. Kotera ◽

A. Neronov ◽

S. Ando

Keyword(s):

Neutron Stars ◽

Confidence Level ◽

Compact Object ◽

Photon Spectrum ◽

Systematic Search ◽

Large Area ◽

Rotation Periods ◽

Upper Limit ◽

Upper Limits ◽

Γ Ray

We present the first individual and stacking systematic search for γ-ray emission in the GeV band in the directions of 45 superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). No excess of γ-rays from the SLSN positions was found. We report γ-ray luminosity upper limits and discuss the implication of these results on the origin of SLSNe and, in particular, the scenario of central compact object-aided SNe. From the stacking search, we derived an upper limit at 95% confidence level to the γ-ray luminosity (above 600 MeV) Lγ < 9.1 × 1041 erg s−1 for an assumed E−2 photon spectrum for our full SLSN sample. We conclude that the rate of the neutron stars born with millisecond rotation periods P ≲ 2 ms and B ~ 1012−13 G must be lower than the rate of the observed SLSNe. The luminosity limits obtained on individual sources are also constraining: in particular, SN2013fc, CSS140222, SN2010kd, and PTF12dam can only be born with millisecond periods if B ≲ 1013 G.

Download Full-text

A large area high efficiency γ-ray detector with good time and space resolution

Nuclear Instruments and Methods ◽

10.1016/0029-554x(73)90393-5 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 107 (3) ◽

pp. 569-581 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

R.J. Abrams ◽

A.S. Carroll ◽

T.F. Kycia ◽

K.K. Li ◽

J. Menes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Efficiency ◽

Good Time ◽

Large Area ◽

Time And Space ◽

Space Resolution ◽

Γ Ray

Download Full-text

Characterisation of SiPM Photon Emission in the Dark

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21175947 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (17) ◽

pp. 5947

Author(s):

Joseph Biagio McLaughlin ◽

Giacomo Gallina ◽

Fabrice Retière ◽

Austin De St. De St. Croix ◽

Pietro Giampa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Interference Pattern ◽

Wavelength Range ◽

Photon Emission ◽

Emission Spectra ◽

Double Beta Decay ◽

Photon Yield ◽

Large Area ◽

Silicon Photomultipliers ◽

Photo Sensor ◽

New Apparatus

In this paper, we report on the photon emission of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) from avalanche pulses generated in dark conditions, with the main objective of better understanding the associated systematics for next-generation, large area, SiPM-based physics experiments. A new apparatus for spectral and imaging analysis was developed at TRIUMF and used to measure the light emitted by the two SiPMs considered as photo-sensor candidates for the nEXO neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment: one Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) VUV-HD Low Field (LF) Low After Pulse (Low AP) (VUV-HD3) SiPM and one Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (HPK) VUV4 Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC). Spectral measurements of their light emissions were taken with varying over-voltage in the wavelength range of 450–1020 nm. For the FBK VUV-HD3, at an over-voltage of 12.1±1.0 V, we measured a secondary photon yield (number of photons (γ) emitted per charge carrier (e−)) of (4.04±0.02)×10−6γ/e−. The emission spectrum of the FBK VUV-HD3 contains an interference pattern consistent with thin-film interference. Additionally, emission microscopy images (EMMIs) of the FBK VUV-HD3 show a small number of highly localized regions with increased light intensity (hotspots) randomly distributed over the SiPM surface area. For the HPK VUV4 MPPC, at an over-voltage of 10.7±1.0 V, we measured a secondary photon yield of (8.71±0.04)×10−6γ/e−. In contrast to the FBK VUV-HD3, the emission spectra of the HPK VUV4 did not show an interference pattern—likely due to a thinner surface coating. The EMMIs of the HPK VUV4 also revealed a larger number of hotspots compared to the FBK VUV-HD3, especially in one of the corners of the device. The photon yield reported in this paper may be limited if compared with the one reported in previous studies due to the measurement wavelength range, which is only up to 1020 nm.

Download Full-text