Microchannel plate detector development for ultraviolet astronomy

@misc{diebold2026microchannel,
  title = {{Microchannel plate detector development for ultraviolet astronomy}},
  author = {S. Diebold and J. Barnstedt and J. Bayer and L. Conti and H. R. Elsener and C. Kalkuhl and D. Rau and D. Schaadt and T. Schanz and B. Stelzer and K. Werner},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.29668},
  eprint = {2608.29668},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.29668},
  note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Microchannel plate detector development for ultraviolet astronomy
AU  - S. Diebold
AU  - J. Barnstedt
AU  - J. Bayer
AU  - L. Conti
AU  - H. R. Elsener
AU  - C. Kalkuhl
AU  - D. Rau
AU  - D. Schaadt
AU  - T. Schanz
AU  - B. Stelzer
AU  - K. Werner
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/30
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.29668
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.29668
AB  - Observational data from the UV wavelength range is crucial to solve several astrophysical puzzles. Consequently, there are a number of upcoming UV missions from CubeSats up to the future flagship Habitable Worlds Observatory. Besides novel instrument concepts and improved coatings, advanced detectors are key for the success of these missions. The microchannel plate (MCP) detector technology offers a unique asset in the UV: the combination of single-photon counting and visible-blindness. The UV hardware group at the Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik Tübingen (IAAT) develops a versatile MCP detector system that addresses the complete UV band. While a sealed-tube design is limited to wavelengths above 118\,nm, an open-face variant also covers the whole far- and extreme-UV. Both use the same readout: a coplanar cross-strip anode and FPGA-based electronics. In this contribution, we report on the status of the detector development, present the latest characterization results, and give an outlook on the mission prospects.
ER  -