High Altitude Balloon Flights Of Position Sensitive Cdznte Detectors For High Energy X-Ray Astronomy

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) is a semiconductor detector well suited for high energy X-ray astronomy. The High-Energy X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HEXIS) program is developing this technology for use in a hard X-ray all-sky survey and as a focal plane imager fur missions such as FAR_XITE and Constellation X. We have designed a novel electrode geometry that improves interaction localization and depth of interaction determination. The HEXIS program has flown two high altitude balloon payloads from Ft. Sumner, NM to investigate background properties and shielding effects on a position sensitive CZT detector in the energy range of 20-350 keV.