Results of the prototype camera for FACT

The maximization of the photon detection efficiency (PDE) is a key issue in the development of cameras for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiodes (G-APD) are a promising candidate to replace the commonly used photomultiplier tubes by offering a larger POE and in addition a facilitated handling. The FACT (First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope) project evaluates the feasibility of this change by building a camera based on 1440 G-APDs for an existing small telescope. As a first step towards a full camera, a prototype module using 144 G-APDs was successfully built and tested. The strong temperature dependence of G-APDs is compensated using a feedback system, which allows to keep the gain of the G-APDs constant to 0.5%. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.