Development of the ComPair gamma-ray telescope prototype

TL;DR

The paper presents the development and initial performance results of the ComPair gamma-ray telescope prototype, designed to enable advanced observations in the MeV energy range for astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel gamma-ray telescope prototype with integrated subsystems for improved MeV range observations, advancing detector technology and design.

Findings

Prototype successfully detects gamma rays in the MeV range

Subsystems demonstrate high spatial and energy resolution

Initial performance meets design expectations

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the science uniquely enabled by observations in the MeV range, particularly in light of multi-messenger astrophysics. The Compton Pair (ComPair) telescope, a prototype of the AMEGO Probe-class concept, consists of four subsystems that together detect and characterize gamma rays in the MeV regime. A double-sided strip silicon Tracker gives a precise measure of the first Compton scatter interaction and tracks pair-conversion products. A novel cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector with excellent position and energy resolution beneath the Tracker detects the Compton-scattered photons. A thick cesium iodide (CsI) calorimeter contains the high-energy Compton and pair events. The instrument is surrounded by a plastic anti-coincidence (ACD) detector to veto the cosmic-ray background. In this work, we will give an overview of the science motivation and a description of the prototype development and performance.