2004 ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS - Indian Academy of Sciences

CHAPTER 9
• Gas microstrip/GEM detectors for
X-ray and g -ray astronomy
Again, there is some work going on at BARC,
the Indian Institute of Science, Bharat
Electronics and the ISRO Satellite Centre. The
present efforts are aimed at optimizing these
detectors for X-rays. One should explore the
possibility of extending this to the γ-ray
regime. If one is successful then one can look
forward to large area, low cost gamma ray
detectors with high spatial rsolution.
• Hard X-ray mirrors
It was argued above that one must
vigorously pursue the development of
CdZnTe detectors for hard X-rays. As a
parallel effort, one must try to develop
mirrors for hard X-rays based on multilayered
materials. If successful, one
can then go on to make an imaging
hard X-ray telescope.
• X-ray polarimeter
This is an exciting development to pursue
at the laboratory level. There are some
efforts at TIFR to design proportional
counters that are sensitive to orientation of
the electric field of the incoming X-rays. This
attempt could be intensified, and similar
attempts could be initiated at other laboratories.
This is another example of an area where
modest efforts could pay rich dividends.
• Space platforms for precision physics
experiments
ISRO has already shown its willingness to
meet the technical challenges posed by
scientific missions. Looking beyond the
ASTROSAT and the Lunar mission, ISRO
might consider technology initiatives which
will enable one to embark on precision
experiments in space platforms. An example
of such initiatives would be precision control
of spacecrafts. Such initiatives must be
supplemented by others, such as state of
the art accelerometers, precision timekeeping
using, for example, the so-called
fountain clocks of ultracold atoms etc.
10. Dedicated facilities for R&D efforts
The research and development work
recommended above, will require some
sophisticated infrastructure.
While a few of these will be rather specialized,
others will find wide usage.
• X-ray beam facility
A national facility is required for testing and
validating the existing and future initiatives in
instrumentation. This should include variable
X-ray generators, vacuum X-ray beams and
multi-energy wide beams to calibrate coded
mask systems.
• UV and IR test and calibration facility
A facility where ultraviolet optics could be
tested, and where UV and infrared detectors
can be tested and calibrated should be set
up. Although the suggestion may come in
the context of astronomy, such a facility is
bound to be useful in other contexts as well.
• Design and simulation centre for
miniature electronics
Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field
Programmable Gate Arrays etc. are finding
increasing usage in modern electronics. It is
important to have a centre where miniature
electronics using such devices can be
designed and simulated.
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