The next generation of high-energy gamma-ray detectors for satellites: The AGILE silicon tracker

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Abstract
AGILE (Light Imaging Detector for Gamma Astronomy) is a satellite for the detection of gamma-ray sources in the energy range 30 MeV–50 GeV within a large field of view (∼1/5 of the sky) and it is planned to fly in the years 2003–2006, a period in which no other mission entirely dedicated to photon detection above 30 MeV is planned. AGILE is made of a Tungsten-Silicon Tracker, a CsI Minicalorimeter, an anticoincidence system and a X-ray detector sensitive in the 10–40 keV range. The Tracker consists of 14 planes, each one made of 2 layers of 16 single-sided, AC coupled, 410 μm thick, 9.5×9.5 cm 2 Silicon detectors with a readout pitch of 242 μm and a floating strip. The AGILE trigger is generated by the Silicon strips which are readout by the TAAI, a low noise, self triggering ASIC used in a very low power configuration (∼400 μW/channel) with analog readout. The number of Tracker readout channels is 43000. We present a description of the Tracker and the performance of the detector (position resolution, cluster pulse height, readout and trigger logic) obtained during three testbeam periods at CERN.

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