Speakers
Description
The Analog Spectral Imager for X-rays (ASIX) is a project aimed at developing a new class of hybrid X-ray detector for event-driven imaging and spectroscopy for high throughput space applications. The design goals for the detector are a high spatial (5 $\mu$m) and spectral (300 eV FWHM @ 8 keV) resolution, at a maximum global readout rate of 100kHz. The ASIX spectroscopic and imaging capabilities are both obtained in real time due to the processing electronics integrated inside the detector front-end.
This work presents the current stage of the development of the project. We shall describe the Monte Carlo simulation of the detector assembly, the event-level analysis and the basic requirements for the new readout chip to be developed as part of the proposal. We shall also describe the validation tests that we performed with a dedicated breadboard, where a pixelated silicon sensor is coupled with a pre-existent custom ASIC, originally developed for the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission.