The High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE)
The HEXTE consists of two clusters each containing four `phoswich
scintillation detectors. Each cluster can ``rock'' (beamswitch)
along mutually orthogonal directions to provide background measurements
1.5 or 3.0 degrees away from the source every 16 to 128 s. Automatic
gain control is provided by using a 241Am radioactive source
mounted in each detector's field of view.
The HEXTE's basic properties are:
- Energy range: 15 - 250 keV
- Energy resolution: 15% at 60 keV
- Time sampling: 8 microsecond
- Field of view: 1 degree FWHM
- Detectors: 2 clusters of 4 NaI/CsI scintillation counters
- Collecting area: 2 times 800 cm^2
- Sensitivity: 1 Crab = 360 count/s per HEXTE cluster
- Background: 50 count/s per HEXTE cluster
Events detected by HEXTE will be processed on board by its own data
system before insertion into the telemetry stream at an average
data rate of 5 kbit/s. Data products include event mode, binned
spectra and light curves, and a burst-triggered event buffer.
The HEXTE was designed and built by the Center for Astrophysics &
Space Sciences (CASS)
at the University of California, San Diego. For more information, see the HEXTE home
page at UCSD.
The HEXTE principal investigator is
Dr. Richard E. Rothschild.
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