Coded aperture imaging using imperfect detector systems

The imaging properties of a gamma-ray telescope which employs a coded aperture in conjunction with a modular detection plane has been investigated. Gaps in the detection plane, which arise as a consequence of the design of the position sensitive detector used, produce artifacts in the deconvolved images which reduce the signal to noise ratio for the detection of point sources. The application of an iterative image processing algorithm is shown to restore the image quality to that expected from an ideal detector. The efficiency of image processing has enabled its subsequent application to a general coded aperture system in order to gain a significant improvement in the field of view without compromising the angular resolution. (orig.)