Method and apparatus for enhancing microchannel plate data

Patent · Tue Jan 13 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6941058

Thoe, R S

This patent describes a spectroscopic system for measuring an energy distribution of an emission from a continuously emitting source, which includes a collimator for collimating the emission, a dispersive element for spatially resolving the emission by energy into a spectral particle distribution. An assemblage of one or more series employed microchannel plates are disposed so that the particular location at which any spectral particle hits the first microchannel plate is determined by the energy of the spectral particle. A phosphor layer is associated with the assemblage of microchannel plates for producing photons when struck by electrons generated by the assemblage of microchannel plates when hit by the spectral particles. A fiber-optics element conducts the photons to a linear diode array with the linear diode array providing N channels of information that remain activated by the photons for only a limited and very short period of time with the channels consecutively numbered 1, 2,..., n,..., N and with each nth the channel containing an analog signal amplitude A/sub n/ and with all non-zero A/sub n/ values that are caused by a single spectral particle occupying sequential and adjacent channels with no zero values therebetween. An apparatus is described comprising: means for sequentially interrogating the N channels at a very rapid scan rate and detecting non-zero A/sub n/ values; and means operative during each scan for generating a digital signal representative of p, the value of n immediately preceding that whereat A/sub n/ takes its first non-zero value.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4637052
• OSTI ID: 6941058
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440300* -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
AMPLITUDES
ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTERS
BEAMS
COLLIMATORS
DATA PROCESSING
DESIGN
DIODE TUBES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON MULTIPLIERS
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUIPMENT
FIBER OPTICS
LEPTON BEAMS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MICROCHANNEL ELECTRON MULTIPLIERS
OPERATION
PARTICLE BEAMS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PHOSPHORS
PHOTONS
PROCESSING
RESOLUTION
SIGNALS
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
SPECTRA
TIME DEPENDENCE