ROSAT position-sensitive proportional counter and its in-orbit performance

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Abstract
The prime focal instrument of the x-ray astronomy satellite ROSAT is the position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC). It is a conventional multiwire gas counter for the energy range from 0.1 to 2.4 keV. At a photon energy of 1 keV the PSPC has an energy resolution of 41% (FWHM), a position resolution of 230 micrometer and a quantum efficiency of 50%. With its very high charged particle background rejection efficiency of better than 99% the detector is best suited for deep exposures to reach so far unprecedented low x-ray flux limits, and also for imaging of extended low surface brightness objects. We describe the detector, report on its in- orbit performance, and present some highlights of the ROSAT all-sky survey and from pointed PSPC observations.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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