Electronic measurement of microchannel plate pulse height distributions

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3478687· OSTI ID:22055866

Gamboa, E J; Huntington, C M; Harding, E C; Drake, R P ^[1]

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1. University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

Microchannel plates are a central component of the x-ray framing cameras used as analog imagers in many plasma experiment diagnostic systems. The microchannel plate serves as an amplifying element, increasing the electronic signal from incident radiation by factors of 10{sup 3}-10{sup 5}, with a broad pulse-height distribution. Seeking to optimize the photon-to-electron conversion efficiency and noise distribution of x-ray cameras, we will characterize the pulse-height distribution of the electron output from a single microchannel plate. Replacing the framing camera's phosphor-coated fiber optic screen with a charge-collection plate and coupling to a low-noise multichannel analyzer, we quantified the distribution in the total charge generated per photon event. The electronically measured pulse height distribution is used to estimate the signal-to-noise ratio of radiographic images from framing cameras.

• OSTI ID: 22055866
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 81; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CAMERAS
CHARGE COLLECTION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONS
IMAGES
MICROCHANNEL ELECTRON MULTIPLIERS
MULTI-CHANNEL ANALYZERS
OPTICAL FIBERS
PHOTONS
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
SCREENS
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
X RADIATION