First published in 1989, this book provides a comprehensive review of
the detection techniques that are used in X-ray astronomy. Since the
first discovery of a cosmic X-ray source in 1962, there has been rapid
growth in X-ray astronomy, which has largely been made possible by
enormous advances in the capabilities of photon counting
instrumentation. The book describes the first 25 years of astronomical
X-ray instrumentation and summarises the areas of current detector
research, giving particular emphasis to imaging devices and to
non-dispersive devices of high spectral resolution. It is the first book
to give such a comprehensive treatment of the subject, and will provide
astronomers with a valuable summary of detection techniques.