Experience with the MAMA Detector

Results are presented from the initial laboratory evaluation of a 255 × 1023-pixel MAMA detector system. The point-spread function of the detector has a FWHM almost identical to the nominal pixel size of 25 microns, and very little spill-over of energy into pixels further than one pixel-width from the point of photon arrival is observed. The peak event count rate is limited primarily by the read-increment-write time of the integrating memory, and gives a 10% non-linearity at 1.20 × 105events.second−1for the whole detector or 0.45 counts.pixel−1second−1. The DQE of the detector with the current filmed MCP is 0.22 of the cathode RQE. With an unfilmed MCP, the DQE would be expected to be significantly higher.