The TIGRE gamma-ray telescope

TIGRE is an advanced telescope for gamma-ray astronomy with a few arcmin resolution. From 0.3 to 10 MeV it is a Compton telescope. Above 1 MeV, its multi-layers of double sided silicon strip detectors allow for Compton recoil electron tracking and the unique determination for incident photon direction. From 10 to 100 MeV the tracking feature is utilized for gamma-ray pair event reconstruction. Here we present TIGRE energy resolutions, background simulations and the development of the electronics readout system

Minute-of-Arc Resolution Gamma ray Imaging Experiment—MARGIE

MARGIE (Minute-of-Arc Resolution Gamma-ray Imaging Experiment) is a large area(∼104 cm2), wide field-of-view (∼1 sr), hard X-ray/gamma-ray (∼20–600 keV) coded-mask imaging telescope capable of performing a sensitive survey of both steady and transient cosmic sources. MARGIE has been selected for a NASA mission-concept study for an Ultra Long Duration (100 day) Balloon flight. We describe our program to develop the instrument based on new detector technology of either cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) semiconductors or pixellated cesium iodide (CsI) scintillators viewed by fast-timing bi-directional charge-coupled devices (CCDs). The primary scientific objectives are to image faint Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) in near-real-time at the low intensity (high-redshift) end of the logN-logS distribution, thereby extending the sensitivity of present observations, and to perform a wide field survey of the Galactic plane

MARGIE: A gamma-ray burst ultra-long duration balloon mission

We are designing MARGIE as a 100 day ULDB mission to: a) detect and localize gamma-ray bursts; and b) survey the hard X-ray sky. MARGIE will consist of one small field-of-view (FOV) and four large FOV coded mask modules mounted on a balloon gondola. The burst position will be calculated onboard and disseminated in near-real time, while information about every count will be telemetered to the ground for further analysis. In a 100-day mission we will localize ∼40 bursts with peak photon fluxes from 0.14 to ∼5 ph cm−2 s−1 using 1 s integrations; the typical localization resolution will be better than ∼2 arcminutes

Tracking and imaging gamma ray experiment (TIGRE) for 1 to 100 MEV gamma ray astronomy

A large international collaboration from the high energy astrophysics community has proposed the Tracking and Imaging Gamma Ray Experiment (TIGRE) for future space observations. TIGRE will image and perform energy spectroscopy measurements on celestial sources of gamma rays in the energy range from 1 to 100 MeV. This has been a difficult energy range experimentally for gamma ray astronomy but is vital for the future considering the recent exciting measurements below 1 and above 100 MeV. TIGRE is both a double scatter Compton and gamma ray pair telescope with direct imaging of individual gamma ray events. Multi‐layers of Si strip detectors are used as Compton and pair converters CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors are used as a position sensitive calorimeter. Alternatively, thick GE strip detectors may be used for the calorimeter. The Si detectors are able to track electrons and positrons through successive Si layers and measure their directions and energy losses. Compton and pair events are completely reconstructed allowing each event to be imaged on the sky. TIGRE will provide an order‐of‐magnitude improvement in discrete source sensitivity in the 1 to 100 MeV energy range and determine spectra with excellent energy and excellent angular resolutions. It’s wide field‐of‐view of π sr permits observations of the entire sky for extended periods of time over the life of the mission