Scientific Optimization for Proposed MeV Gamma-Ray Instruments, Lessons Learned From the Fermi-LAT

Designing a gamma-ray telescope to operate in the MeV range will inevitably require making hard choices when it comes to optimizing the instrumental performance. In particular, the choice of available detector technologies combined with the limited space and power available to space-based missions suggest that trade-offs between the collecting area, the field of view, and the spatial and spectral resolution will be required. In this contribution I will summarize some lessons learned from the performance optimization of the Fermi-LAT, and discuss how they may be applicable to proposed MeV instruments.