Heidelberg 2007 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 604: Exp. Methoden der Astroteilchenphysik II

T 604.4: Talk

Friday, March 9, 2007, 17:30–17:45, KIP Kl. HS

Field Test: First Detection of Cherenkov Light from Air Showers with Geiger APDs — •Nepomuk Otte¹, Adrian Biland², Britvitch Ilia², Lorenz Eckart^1,2, Pauss Felicitas², Renker Dieter³, and Röser Ulf² — ¹Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, München — ²Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich — ³Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen

G-APDs are novel semiconductor photon-detectors which offer several advantages compared to conventional photomultiplier tubes in the field of air shower detection. Folded with the Cherenkov spectrum the response of G-APDs is up to a factor of three higher if compared with classical photomultipliers. Moreover they offer high gain (∼10⁵…10⁶) at low operation voltages (<100 V). Under operation they are insensible to excessive and prolonged exposure to light and are mechanical robust. Dark count rates of some G-APDs are below the level of light coming from the night sky. Furthermore G-APDs can be mass-produced which allows to considerably reduce the costs of these sensors. According to the present state of the development of G-APD they promise to be a major progress for γ-ray astronomy.

Here we report on first-time tests of the detection of Cherenkov light from air showers with G-APD. We discuss first test results and the advantages and problems of G-APDs in Cherenkov telescopes.