LIP - Detalhes

LIP Coimbra Astrophysics Instrumentation Group research activities are developed in the framework of LIP strategic objectives on "Radiation Environment Studies and Applications for Space Missions". Our group is part of H2020 AHEAD (Activities in the High Energy Astrophysics Domain) project (ref. 654215) started September 1st, 2015 for 42 months, with a global budget of 4,982,477€, where 61,225€ were granted to LIP. The overall objective of AHEAD is to integrate national efforts in high-energy astrophysics and to promote the domain at the European level, to keep its community at the cutting edge of science and technology in this competitive research area and ensure that space observatories for high-energy astrophysics will be solid proposals to future ESA call for missions. Our group will contribute do WP8 of AHEAD. The WP8 title is "Development and characterization of optics for next generation X-ray telescopes". The goal of this work package is to further develop and characterize key X-ray optics technologies for the next generation X-ray missions. In the framework of AHEAD consortium effort, together with our partners of the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cósmica, Bologna, Italy, we will participate in novel focal planes development, simulation and testing. XIPE (X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer) mission was one of the three 2015 M4 call selected missions for phase A by ESA. After phase A period, aimed at studying technical and scientific aspects of the three concepts, one mission will be selected in June 2017 to be launched by 2026. XIPE might be the first X-ray polarimetry launched into space, opening a whole new observational window. The XIPE scientific payload is composed of a mirror assembly and focal plane detectors. The focal plane instrument is based on GPD photoelectric X-ray polarimeters. The GPD measures photons linear polarization by reconstructing the emission direction of the ejected photoelectrons. As XIPE Instrument Team partner, our group has the task of optimize the GPD gas mixture.

Inflight Proton Activation and Damage on a CdTe Detection Plane
Author(s): N. Simões, J. M. Maia, R. M. Curado da Silva, S. Ghithan, P. Crespo, S.J.C. do Carmo, Francisco Alves, M. Moita, N. Auricchio, E. Caroli
Submission: 2016-12-16, Acceptance: 2017-09-07, Publication: 2018-01-01
Reference: Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. A-Accel. Spectrom. Dect. Assoc. Equip. 877 (2018) 183-191

Chapter 10: Cadmium (Zinc) Telluride 2D/3D Spectrometers for Scattering Polarimetry
Author(s): Rui M. Curado da Silva, Ezio Caroli, Stefano del Sordo, and Jorge Manuel Maia
Publication: 2017-10-26
Reference: Semiconductor Radiation Detectors: Technology and Applications, 2017 by CRC Press, pp 241-282

The e-ASTROGAM mission. Exploring the extreme Universe with gamma rays in the MeV - GeV range
Author(s): De Angelis, A.; Tatischeff, V.; Tavani, M.; Oberlack, U.; Grenier, I.; Hanlon, L.; Walter, R.; Argan, A.; von Ballmoos, P.; Bulgarelli, A.; Donnarumma, I.; Hernanz, M.; Kuvvetli, I.; Pearce, M.; Zdziarski, A.; Aboudan, A.; Ajello, M.; Ambrosi, G.; Bernard, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bonvicini, V.; Brogna, A.; Branchesi, M.; Budtz-Jorgensen, C.; Bykov, A.; Campana, R.; Cardillo, M.; Coppi, P.; De Martino, D.; Diehl, R.; Doro, M.; Fioretti, V.; Funk, S.; Ghisellini, G.; Grove, E.; Hamadache, C.; Silva R.
Submission: 2016-12-01, Acceptance: 2017-03-13, Publication: 2017-06-01
Reference: Exp. Astron., Volume 44, Issue 1, pp.25-82

Polarimetric analysis of a CdZnTe spectro-imager under multi-pixel irradiation conditions
Author(s): M. Pinto, R.M. Curado da Silva, J.M. Maia, N. Simões, J. Marques, L. Pereira, A.M.F. Trindade, E. Caroli, N. Auricchio, J.B. Stephen, P. Gonçalves
Publication: 2016-10-10
Reference: Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A (2016), pp. 69-76