110137861
Evaluation of AC-coupled silicon microstrip detectors and Berkeley SVXD readout with 227 GeV/c pions
Single-sided and double-sided AC-coupled Si microstrip detectors read out with Berkeley SVX version D VLSI chips have been tested in a 227-GeV/c charged pion beam at Fermilab. Pulse height information, cluster size, and spatial resolution have been studied as functions of incident beam angle. It was found that the experimental spatial resolution agrees with Monte Carlo predictions and that the average pulse height and cluster size increase accordingly with increasing angle of particle incidence from the normal. The results of the beam tests are presented in detail. >
119785250
Beam tests of silicon microstrip detectors with VLSI readout
Abstract Two AC-coupled silicon strip devices were operated in a Fermilab test beam with Berkeley SVXD readout. Operation of the detectors is described and results for the spatial resolution are given.
21985146
Observed limits on charge exchange contributions to the diffuse X-ray background
We present a high-resolution spectrum of the diffuse X-ray background from 0.1 to 1 keV for a ~1 sr region of the sky centered at l = 90°, b = +60° using a 36 pixel array of microcalorimeters flown on a sounding rocket. With an energy resolution of 11 eV FWHM below 1 keV, the spectrum's observed line ratios help separate charge exchange contributions originating within the heliosphere from thermal emission of hot gas in the interstellar medium. The X-ray sensitivity below 1 keV was reduced by about a factor of four from contamination that occurred early in the flight, limiting the significance of the results. The observed centroid of helium-like O VII is 568+2 – 3 eV at 90% confidence. Since the centroid expected for thermal emission is 568.4 eV and for charge exchange is 564.2 eV, thermal emission appears to dominate for this line complex. The dominance of thermal emission is consistent with much of the high-latitude O VII emission originating in 2-3 × 106 K gas in the Galactic halo. On the other hand, the observed ratio of C VI Lyγ to Lyα is 0.3 ± 0.2. The expected ratios are 0.04 for thermal emission and 0.24 for charge exchange, indicating that charge exchange must contribute strongly to this line and therefore potentially to the rest of the ROSAT R12 band usually associated with 106 K emission from the Local Hot Bubble. The limited statistics of this experiment and systematic uncertainties due to the contamination require only >32% thermal emission for O VII and >20% from charge exchange for C VI at the 90% confidence level. An experimental gold coating on the silicon substrate of the array greatly reduced extraneous signals induced on nearby pixels from cosmic rays passing through the substrate, reducing the triggered event rate by a factor of 15 from a previous flight of the instrument.
119262806
PRESENT-DAY GALACTIC EVOLUTION: LOW-METALLICITY, WARM, IONIZED GAS INFLOW ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUD COMPLEX A
The high-velocity cloud Complex A is a probe of the physical conditions in the Galactic halo. The kinematics, morphology, distance, and metallicity of Complex A indicate that it represents new material that is accreting onto the Galaxy. We present Wisconsin Hα Mapper kinematically resolved observations of Complex A over the velocity range of –250 to –50 km s–1 in the local standard of rest reference frame. These observations include the first full Hα intensity map of Complex A across to (171°, 53°) and deep targeted observations in Hα, [S II] λ6716, [N II] λ6584, and [O I] λ6300 toward regions with high H I column densities, background quasars, and stars. The Hα data imply that the masses of neutral and ionized material in the cloud are similar, both being greater than 106 M ☉. We find that the Bland-Hawthorn & Maloney model for the intensity of the ionizing radiation near the Milky Way is consistent with the known distance of the high-latitude part of Complex A and an assumed cloud geometry that puts the lower-latitude parts of the cloud at a distance of 7-8 kpc. This compatibility implies a 5% ionizing photon escape fraction from the Galactic disk. We also provide the nitrogen and sulfur upper abundance solutions for a series of temperatures, metallicities, and cloud configurations for purely photoionized gas; these solutions are consistent with the sub-solar abundances found by previous studies, especially for temperatures above 104 K or for gas with a high fraction of singly ionized nitrogen and sulfur.
118666317
Early Results from the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Southern Sky Survey
After a successful eleven-year campaign at Kitt Peak, we moved the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM) to Cerro Tololo in early 2009. Here we present some of the early data after a few months under southern skies. These maps begin to complete the first all-sky, kinematic survey of the diffuse H-alpha emission from the Milky Way. Much of this emission arises from the Warm Ionized Medium (WIM), a significant component of the ISM that extends a few kiloparsecs above the Galactic disk. While this first look at the data focuses on the H-alpha survey, WHAM is also capable of observing many other optical emission lines, revealing fascinating trends in the temperature and ionization state of the WIM. Our ongoing studies of the physical conditions of diffuse ionized gas will continue from the southern hemisphere following the H-alpha survey. In addition, future observations will cover the full velocity range of the Magellanic Stream, Bridge, and Clouds to trace the ionized gas associated with these neighboring systems.
15209533
Complex impedance measurements of calorimeters and bolometers: correction for stray impedances.
Impedance measurements provide a useful probe of the physics of bolometers and calorimeters. We describe a method for measuring the complex impedance of these devices. In previous work, stray impedances and readout electronics of the measurement apparatus have resulted in artifacts in the impedance data. The technique allows experimenters to find an independent Thevenin or Norton equivalent circuit for each frequency. This method allows experimenters to easily isolate the device impedance from the effects of parasitic impedances and frequency dependent gains in amplifiers.