Abstract

A telescope–spectrograph employing a photon-counting microchannel plate (MCP)–CODACON detector has been built, tested, and flown on a sounding rocket. The detector uses a curved-channel MCP proximity focused onto a coded anode array of 1024 channels spaced 25.4-mm center to center. High quantum efficiency is obtained by depositing a cesium iodide photocathode on the front surface of the MCP. The instrument has obtained an ultraviolet (1500–1800-Å) spectrum of Jupiter with a spectral resolution of 8 Å, which is higher than that of any previously reported observation in this wavelength range.

© 1982 Optical Society of America

Sensitive far uv spectrograph with a multispectral element microchannel plate detector for rocket-borne astronomy

H. Weiser, R. C. Vitz, H. W. Moos, and A. Weinstein
Appl. Opt. 15(12) 3123-3130 (1976)

Rocket instrument for far-UV spectrophotometry of faint astronomical objects

G. F. Hartig, W. G. Fastie, and A. F. Davidsen
Appl. Opt. 19(5) 729-740 (1980)

Quantum efficiencies of imaging detectors with alkali halide photocathodes. 1: Microchannel plates with separate and integral CsI photocathodes

George R. Carruthers
Appl. Opt. 26(14) 2925-2930 (1987)

A Rocket Telescope Spectrometer with High Precision Pointing Control

M. Bottema, W. G. Fastie, and H. W. Moos
Appl. Opt. 8(9) 1821-1826 (1969)

Self-scanned anode array with a microchannel plate electron multiplier: the SSANACON

A. Lyle Broadfoot and B. R. Sandel
Appl. Opt. 16(6) 1533-1538 (1977)