Imaging At Soft X-Ray Wavelengths With Microchannel Plates

Abstract

Microchannel Plate (MCP) based detectors for the soft X-ray range (0.1 to 10 key) provide high efficiency (> 10%), large format (10 cm x 10 cm), high time resolution (intrinsically < 1 ns), low background ( <0.2 counts cm-2 s-1 at sea level), and high spatial resolution (< 20 um FWHM) two-dimensional imaging. When operated in high gain ( > 1.0⁷) cascaded pairs they can be used for single photon detection and provide an extremely powerful means for imaging faint point and extended sources of soft X-ray radiation and for reading out high resolution faint spectra fom dispersive elements. They have found application in X-ray astronomy satellites (Einstein Observatory and EXOSAT) and will be used in future X-ray astronomy missions (ROSAT and AXAF). Many areas have benefited from the development of MCP detectors for X-ray astronomy including soft X-ray microscopy, plasma diagnostics, and extended absorption fine structure (EXAFS) research. Perhaps the brief description here of MCP detectors for X-ray astronomy applications will further the transfer of this technology into new areas of medicine, biology, plasma physics, and synchrotron radiation.