MeVCube - a novel Compton camera for measuring of gamma radiation for astrophysical and terrestrial applications.

High-energy gamma rays can be measured in space from cosmic sources to study violent explosions and high-energy astrophysical processes in the Universe. The so-called ‘MeV gap’ is an under-covered region in the electromagnetic spectral coverage of existing telescopes. At the Humboldt University of Berlin and DESY, we are developing and testing a detector prototype for a possible future CubeSat MeV gamma-ray satellite mission (see e.g. ltu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1466376/FULLTEXT01.pdf). The detector is based on CdZnTe crystals and measures gamma rays via Compton scattering. In the next years, we will assemble a 16-crystal prototype and develop and test the readout and data acquisition electronics. Together with international partners, we will commission this complete Compton camera and demonstrate its suitability for a CubeSat satellite mission.