Numerical evaluation of an ultra high-speed X-ray camera with respect to gated image simultaneity

Abstract

A high-speed camera with electric field based shuttering can be capable of framing with precision of nanosecond or picosecond range. The shutter mechanism is controlled by an electric pulse on a photo-cathode, through which the incoming X-ray light is converted to an electron density distribution via photoelectric effect. The purpose of this study is to compensate for the simultaneity of the pulse-gated image by spatially controlling the transit time of photoelectrons. Control of the transit time is achieved by slightly inclining the photocathode. However, the configuration of the Micro Channel Plate (MCP) is different from that of conventional MCP gated cameras. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a time-domain analysis of the amplification characteristics of the MCP when the gating pulse is applied to the electrodes on the MCP.