A comparative study of microstrip plate geometries as UV photosensors with reflective photocathodes: simulation

A numerical simulation of eight microstrip plate geometries operated in 760 torr of xenon was performed. The cathode widths and anode-to-cathode gaps were varied while the anode widths were held constant at 10 /spl mu/m. Avalanche multiplication factors as a function of position and total gains for all geometries were determined. Since optical positive feedback is a limiting factor in considering microstrip plates as vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photosensors, the optical positive feedback of a CsI-coated microstrip plate used as a VUV photosensor for a gas proportional scintillator counter was estimated for all geometries. The geometry with the least optical positive feedback in this application was determined to have 160-/spl mu/m cathodes and cathode-to-anode gaps of 55 /spl mu/m.