Polarization Measurements With An Imaging Gamma-ray Telescope
A. Akyüz, D. Bhattacharya,
D. D. Dixon T. J. O'Neill, O. T. Tümer,
R. S. White, and A. D. Zych
Experimental Astronomy, accepted for publication
Abstract
The proposed Tracking and Imaging Gamma-Ray Experiment (TIGRE), operating
in the 0.3-100 MeV energy interval, will be an efficient polarimeter with
a modulation factor of ~50% at 0.5 MeV. The polarization detection
parameters of TIGRE were estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation modified
to include the polarization dependence of the Klein-Nishina formula.
Using Compton scattering of low energy photons and approximately 3 pi acceptance angle after scattering,
TIGRE will be able to measure strong sources with 20%
fractional polarization at 3 sigma
significance in a typical balloon-borne exposure and
<=5% during a 4-week satellite observation.