Giulio Fedel

The AGILE Instrument

AGILE is an ASI gamma-ray astrophysics space Mission which will operate in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV range with imaging capabilities also in the 10 - 40 keV range. Primary scientific goals include the study of AGNs, gamma-ray bursts, Galactic sources, unidentified gamma-ray sources, diffuse Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray emission, high-precision timing studies, and Quantum Gravity testing. The AGILE scientific instrument is based on an innovative design of three detecting systems: (1) a Silicon Tracker, (2) a Mini-Calorimeter, and (3) an ultralight coded mask system with Si-detectors (Super-AGILE). AGILE is designed to provide: (1) excellent imaging in the energy bands 30 MeV-50 GeV (5-10 arcmin for intense sources) and 10-40 keV (1-3 arcmin); (2) optimal timing capabilities, with independent readout systems and minimal deadtimes for the Silicon Tracker, Super-AGILE and Mini-Calorimeter; (3) large field of view for the gamma-ray imaging detector (~3 sr) and Super-AGILE (~1 sr). AGILE will be the only Mission entirely dedicated to source detection above 30 MeV during the period 2004-2006.

The next generation of high-energy gamma-ray detectors for satellites: The AGILE silicon tracker

AGILE (Light Imaging Detector for Gamma Astronomy) is a satellite for the detection of gamma-ray sources in the energy range 30 MeV–50 GeV within a large field of view (∼1/5 of the sky) and it is planned to fly in the years 2003–2006, a period in which no other mission entirely dedicated to photon detection above 30 MeV is planned. AGILE is made of a Tungsten-Silicon Tracker, a CsI Minicalorimeter, an anticoincidence system and a X-ray detector sensitive in the 10–40 keV range. The Tracker consists of 14 planes, each one made of 2 layers of 16 single-sided, AC coupled, 410 μm thick, 9.5×9.5 cm2 Silicon detectors with a readout pitch of 242 μm and a floating strip. The AGILE trigger is generated by the Silicon strips which are readout by the TAAI, a low noise, self triggering ASIC used in a very low power configuration (∼400 μW/channel) with analog readout. The number of Tracker readout channels is 43000. We present a description of the Tracker and the performance of the detector (position resolution, clus...

Science with AGILE

AGILE is an ASI Small Scientific Mission dedicated to high-energy astrophysics. The AGILE instrument is designed to detect and image photons in the 30 MeV–50 GeV and 10–40 keV energy bands, with excellent spatial resolution and timing capability, and an unprecedently large field of view covering ∼1/4 of the entire sky at energies above 30 MeV. Primary scientific goals include the study of AGNS, gamma-ray bursts, Galactic sources, unidentified gamma-ray sources, diffuse Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray emission, high-precision timing studies, and Quantum Gravity testing. The AGILE Science Program will be open to the international scientific community. AGILE is planned to be operational during the year 2002, and will be the only mission entirely dedicated to high-energy astrophysics above 30 MeV to support multiwavelength studies during the period 2002–2005.

The AGILE Scientific Instrument

The AGILE scientific instrument is based on an innovative design based on three detecting systems: (1) a Silicon Tracker, (2) a Mini-Calorimeter, and (3) an ultralight coded mask system with Si-detectors (Super-AGILE). AGILE is designed to provide: (1) excellent imaging in the energy bands 30 MeV–50 GeV (5–10 arcmin for intense sources) and 10–40 keV (1–3 arcmin); (2) optimal timing capabilities, with independent readout systems and minimal deadtimes for the Silicon tracker, Super-AGILE and Mini-Calorimeter; (3) large fields of view for the gamma-ray imaging detector (∼3 sr) and Super-AGILE (∼1 sr).

AGILE and gamma-ray astrophysics

Abstract The study of γ rays is fundamental for our understanding of the universe: γ rays probe the most energetic phenomena occurring in nature, and several signatures of new physics are associated with the emission of γ rays. The main science objectives and the status of the new generation high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics experiment AGILE are presented.