Abstract
The time-projection chamber (TPC) X-ray polarimeter is a micropattern gas detector that exploits the polarization sensitivity of the photoelectric effect, which is both the dominant X-ray interaction mechanism and an ideal polarization analyzer. This polarimeter forms images of the photoelectron tracks created as a result of X-ray absorption in the gas. From these images, the photoelectron emission angle, correlated with the electric field vector of the ionizing X-ray, is determined on an event-by-event basis, thus measuring the polarization fraction and phase angle of the observed X-ray source. The energy of each X-ray is also measured with typical proportional counter energy resolution. The TPC geometry affords the highest possible statistical sensitivity, motivated by the strenuous demands of astronomical X-ray polarimetry, where the polarization signatures of interest can be small and the source fluxes weak. Realizing this sensitivity requires attention to a number of elements of design and operation to ensure the required statistical sensitivity without being limited by systematic errors. In this chapter, we discuss those design and operational considerations, followed by descriptions of a number of example TPC polarimeter implementations, either suited for focusing X-ray optics or for use with an X-ray collimator, with either wide or narrow field-of-view.
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Black, K., Zajczyk, A. (2024). Time-Projection Chamber X-ray Polarimeters. In: Bambi, C., Santangelo, A. (eds) Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6960-7_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6960-7_26
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