Abstract
The VUV (Vacuum Ultra Violet) pickup storage tube with MgF2 window and KBr photocathode for aurora observation system installed in the satellite has been developed.
In order to remove the imaging section, the KBr photocathode is deposited directly onto the input surface of the Micro Channel Plate (MCP) which multiplies and projects the electron image onto the CaF2 storage surface deposited on the Cu mesh behind the the MCP.
The charge pattern on the storage mesh persists for a few minutes and the output signal is obtained by scanning the storage mesh with electron beam from the opposite side of the mesh. The removal of the imaging section and the application of electrostatic focussing and deflection system make the tube compact.
A resolution of two hundred TV lines and a gradation of 7 steps are obtained. This tube has the capability of electronic shutter to obtain constant exposure, and since the output signal is not affected by the scanning speed, a slow scanning TV system can easily be realized by employing this tube.
