AstroPix: Monolithic Active Pixelated Silicon Detectors for Future Space-Based Gamma-Ray Telescopes

Future medium-energy gamma ray telescopes targeting the keV-MeV regime must be sensitive to photon interactions via photoabsorption, Compton scattering, and pair production. For a single telescope to effectively reconstruct photons over such a wide energy range, two-dimensional position information and precise energy and angular resolution are required. A novel technology option boasting low noise and low power consumption is monolithic CMOS active pixel silicon sensors, where signal amplification and digitization all occurs on chip. This talk will describe the development of such a chip - AstroPix - for application in future space-based gamma-ray telescopes. The current status of characterization and future plans for technology maturation will be outlined.