Usage Conditions May ApplyUsage Conditions ApplyThere are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections.
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https://iiif.si.eduView ManifestView in Mirador ViewerUsage Conditions May ApplyUsage Conditions ApplyThere are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections.
More -
https://iiif.si.eduView ManifestView in Mirador ViewerUsage Conditions May ApplyUsage Conditions ApplyThere are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections.
More -
https://iiif.si.eduView ManifestView in Mirador ViewerUsage Conditions May ApplyUsage Conditions ApplyThere are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections.
More -
https://iiif.si.eduView ManifestView in Mirador Viewer
This is an imaging x-ray detector built by Steve Murray in the early 1970s as part of his PhD research program in 2-dimensional imaging techniques. Under the direction of Riccardo Giacconi, he laboriously hand wound this breadboard model to show that his "cross-grid" design was viable. The copper wire grid is wound in two orthogonal layers and is part of an electronic circuit that is sensitive to incoming electrons. To make it detect x-rays, Murray placed what is called a microchannel plate on top of the grid. Incoming X-rays from a hot source would first hit the front of the microchannel plate and be converted into electrons. The microchannel plate then amplified the resulting electronic charge producing a stream that then hit the dense grid of very fine wires on the detector. The intersections of the wires in the two layers define the x and y coordinates of the charge stream. The resulting signal is used to construct images of the sources of original X-ray pattern. The proof of principle provided by this breadboard detector led to the high resolution X-ray imagers used on orbiting X-ray observatories including HEAO-2 (Einstein), ROSAT, and AXAF (Chandra).
It was transferred to NASM from SAO in 2002.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Scientific
Manufacturer
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Dimensions
3-D: 12.7 × 10.2 × 2.2cm (5 × 4 × 7/8 in.) Materials
Plastic
Electronics Inventory Number
A20020289000
Credit Line
Transferred from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard University.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.