On the Background Rate in the LXeGRIT Instrument during the 2000 Balloon Flight

Details On the Background Rate in the LXeGRIT Instrument during the 2000 Balloon Flight On the Background Rate in the LXeGRIT Instrument during the 2000 Balloon Flight

2002-11-27

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0211584v2

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

13 pages, 12 figures, SPIE 2002 Proceedings, Conf. Vol. 4851 - 151; corrected references

Scientific paper

10.1117/12.461569

LXeGRIT is the first prototype of a novel Compton telescope for MeV gamma-ray astrophysics based on a Liquid Xenon Time Projection Chamber (LXeTPC), sensitive in the energy band of 0.15-10 MeV. In this homogeneous, 3D position sensitive detector, gamma rays with at least two interactions in the sensitive volume of 2800 cm$^{3}$, are imaged as in a standard Compton telescope. Gamma-rays with a single interaction cannot be imaged and constitute a background which can be easily identified and rejected. Charged particles and localized beta-particles background is also easily suppressed based on the TPC localization capability with millimeter resolution. A measurement of the total gamma-ray background rate in near space conditions and the background rejection power of the LXeTPC was a primary goal of the LXeGRIT balloon flight program. We present here a preliminary analysis addressing this question, based on balloon flight data acquired during the Oct 4-5, 2000 LXeGRIT balloon flight from Ft. Sumner, NM. In this long duration (27 hr) balloon experiment, the LXeGRIT TPC was not surrounded by any gamma-ray or charged particle shield. Single site events and charged particles were mostly rejected on-line at the first and second trigger level. The remaining count rate of single-site \g-ray events, at an average atmospheric depth of 3.2 g cm$^{-2}$, is consistent with that expected from atmospheric and diffuse gamma-ray background, taking into account the instrument mass model and response.

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