29 July 2015 to 6 August 2015
World Forum
Europe/Amsterdam timezone

FAMOUS - A fluorescence telescope using SiPMs

30 Jul 2015, 15:30
1h
Amazon Foyer (World Forum)

Amazon Foyer

World Forum

Churchillplein 10 2517 JW Den Haag The Netherlands
Board: 172
Poster contribution CR-IN Poster 1 CR

Speaker

Thomas Bretz (RWTH Aachen)

Description

The FAMOUS telescope is a prove-of-concept study for the usage of silicon based photo sensors (SiPMs) in fluorescence telescopes. Such telescopes detect the fluorescence light emitted by ultra-high energy cosmic ray particles impinging on the Earth's atmosphere. Available instruments, like the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina, are using photo multiplier tubes for photon detection. The FAMOUS camera aims to make use of the advantages of recent developments in photo detection by SiPM sensors, like increasing the duty cycle due to the ability to operate SiPMs under bright moon light. Build in a 50 cm-diameter aluminum tube, and employing refractive optics driven by a Fresnel-lens, a seven-pixel prototype camera has been installed and developed. First results look very promising. The next stage of the prototype will be equipped with a 61-pixel camera, a more lightweight tube, more efficient light concentrators, and a customized and more stable power supply. The results of the test measurements and the status of the next stage prototype will be presented.
Registration number following "ICRC2015-I/" 809
Collaboration -- not specified --

Primary author

Thomas Bretz (RWTH Aachen)

Co-authors

Jan Auffenberg (RWTH Aachen) Johannes Schumacher (RWTH Aachen) Lukas Middendorf (RWTH Aachen) Thomas Hebbeker (RWTH Aachen) Tim Niggemann (RWTH Aachen)

Presentation materials

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