Assembly and test of photo-detection modules for the Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Abstract The Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype (pSCT) is going to test the Schwarzschild Couder solution proposed for Medium Size telescopes for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The camera consists of 177 photodetection modules grouped into sectors of maximum 25 modules each. The sensitive elements of the modules, located in the focal plane of the telescope, are matrices of 64 6 mm × 6 mm pixels of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The front-end electronics is designed for signal sampling technique using the TARGET-7 ASIC. The prototype under construction and test at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory site will be equipped with the inner central sector fully operational. Sensors from Fondazione Bruno Kessler will be used for 9 of the 25 modules. A complete characterization of these very recent, highly sensitive Near UV sensors, the assembly procedure and metrology results on several focal plane elements has been conducted. Performances of the 16-sensors matrices and measurements with the TARGET-7 ASIC front-end coupled to FBK sensors will be shown and deeply discussed.