Focusing effect of bent GaAs crystals for gamma-ray Laue lenses: Monte Carlo and experimental results

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the focusing effect of bent GaAs crystals for gamma-ray Laue lenses through experimental and Monte Carlo simulation results, showing potential for significantly improved astrophysical telescope sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bent GaAs crystal fabrication method and compares experimental results with simulations to validate focusing capabilities for gamma-ray applications.

Findings

Bent GaAs crystals effectively focus gamma rays in the 80-600 keV range.

Experimental results align with Monte Carlo simulations, confirming focusing ability.

Focusing crystals can enhance telescope sensitivity by increasing signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract

We report on results of observation of the focusing effect from the planes (220) of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) crystals. We have compared the experimental results with the simulations of the focusing capability of GaAs tiles through a developed Monte Carlo. The GaAs tiles were bent using a lapping process developed at the cnr/imem - Parma (Italy) in the framework of the laue project, funded by ASI, dedicated to build a broad band Laue lens prototype for astrophysical applications in the hard X-/soft gamma-ray energy range (80-600 keV). We present and discuss the results obtained from their characterization, mainly in terms of focusing capability. Bent crystals will significantly increase the signal to noise ratio of a telescope based on a Laue lens, consequently leading to an unprecedented enhancement of sensitivity with respect to the present non focusing instrumentation.