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Performance of the EBIT calorimeter spectrometer
Frederick Scott Porter1, John Gygax, Richard L Kelley
1NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|December 3, 2008
Summary
A new Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) calorimeter spectrometer (ECS) offers high-resolution, broadband X-ray spectroscopy. This advanced instrument enhances measurements for laboratory astrophysics, including plasma studies and cross-section analysis.
Area of Science:
- Atomic Physics
- Plasma Physics
- Astrophysics
Background:
- The Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory previously used the XRS/EBIT spectrometer.
- A need existed for a next-generation spectrometer with improved resolution and broader energy coverage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and detail the capabilities of the new Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) calorimeter spectrometer (ECS).
- To highlight the ECS's suitability for advanced research in laboratory astrophysics and plasma diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- The ECS utilizes a 32-pixel X-ray calorimeter array, with pixels optimized for low (0.1-10 keV) and high (0.5-100+ keV) energy bands.
- A five-stage automated cryogenic system maintains the detector array at 50 mK for optimal performance.
- The instrument is designed for continuous data acquisition with automated recycling.
Main Results:
- The ECS achieves 4.5 eV energy resolution and 95% quantum efficiency at 6 keV for the low-energy band.
- The high-energy band provides 34 eV resolution and 32% quantum efficiency at 60 keV.
- The spectrometer offers broadband, high-efficiency, nondispersive X-ray detection.
Conclusions:
- The ECS represents a significant advancement in X-ray spectroscopy for the EBIT facility.
- Its high performance enables precise measurements for studies of absolute cross sections, charge exchange recombination, and nonequilibrium plasmas.
- The ECS is a prime instrument for laboratory astrophysics research.
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