Surface investigation and aluminum oxide estimation on test filters for the ATHENA X-IFU and WFI detectors

Sciortino, Luisa; Cicero, Ugo Lo; Magnano, Elena; Píš, Igor; Barbera, Marco

doi:10.1117/12.2232376

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The calculations are derived by using the matrix formulation of the electromagnetic field boundary conditions [13], with the refractive index of aluminum and polyimide derived from [13][15] [27]. The best fit modelling is consistent with a total amount of 7 nm of aluminum oxide, which suggests that the same amount of oxide forms at the interface with the polyimide and on the open surface that we measured with the XPS at the BACH beamline of the ELETTRA Synchrotron (Basovizza, IT) [28]. The UV modelling also fits well with the soft X-ray measurements performed at the BEAR beamline of ELETTRA.…”

Section: Characterization Tests Supporting the Designsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Figure 8 shows pictures of sample #3 partially representative of the LDA OBF, #4 fully representative of one quadrant of the LDA OBF, and #5 representative of the FDA OBF in the meshless option (not the baseline). Preliminary results have been reported elsewhere on optical characterization and surface analysis investigations [28], on vibration tests performed on the large size sample #3 at the Centre Spatial de Liege in March 2017, and on acoustic tests performed at the AGH University in Krakow in May 2017 [8]. Here we report some results from further optical characterization measurements and mechanical tests performed on new filter samples.…”

Section: Characterization Tests Supporting the Designmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…In addition, the thick mesh gives a flat QE loss of ~ 3.5%. The WFI QE with the FW OBF in place ( Figure 5) is, however, compliant with the scientific requirements, namely > 20% @ 0.270 keV, > 80% @ 1 keV and > 90% @ 10 keV [28].…”

Section: Current Investigated Designmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…The main difference with respect to the previous calculation is due to a better modeling of the FW OBF transmission at wavelengths < 100 nm obtained by use of the refractive index of polyimide calculated from the atomic scattering factors in [15]. The calculated modelling assumes that a 3.5 nm of aluminum are oxidized on each side [28]. The use of the FW OBF provides the additional attenuation necessary to observe hot stars as bright as mv = 2.…”

Section: Current Investigated Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

ATHENA WFI optical blocking filters development status toward the end of the instrument phase-A

Barbera

Cicero

Sciortino

et al. 2018

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

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The Wide Field Imager (WFI) is one of the two instruments of the ATHENA astrophysics space mission approved by ESA as the second large mission in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Programme. The WFI, based on a large array of depleted field effect transistors (DEPFET), will provide imaging in the 0.2-15 keV band over a 40'x40' field of view, simultaneously with spectrally and time resolved photon counting.The WFI detector is also sensitive to UV/Vis photons, with an electron-hole pair production efficiency in the UV/VIS larger than that for X-ray photons. Optically generated photo-electrons may degrade the spectral resolution as well as change the energy scale by introducing a signal offset. For this reason, the use of X-ray transparent optical blocking filters (OBFs) are needed to allow the observation of X-ray sources that present a UV/Vis bright counterpart.The OBFs design is challenging since one of the two required filters is quite large (~ 160 mm  160 mm), very thin (< 200 nm), and shall survive the mechanical load during the launch.In this paper, we review the main results of modeling and characterization tests of OBF partially representative samples, performed during the phase A study, to identify the suitable materials, optimize the design, prove that the filters can be launched in atmospheric pressure, and thus demonstrate that the chosen technology can reach the proper technical readiness before mission adoption.

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Section: Characterization Tests Supporting the Designsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Characterization Tests Supporting the Designmentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Current Investigated Designmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Current Investigated Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

ATHENA WFI optical blocking filters development status toward the end of the instrument phase-A

Barbera

Cicero

Sciortino

et al. 2018

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

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“…98 (see also Ref. 99 for a report on their ongoing characterization). TF should maximize the soft X-ray transmission, while providing attenuation of the visible/infrared/UV radiation from the warm surfaces seen from the TES array as to limit the radiation heat load on the cold stage and prevent the degradation of the energy resolution due to photon shot noise.…”

Section: Thermal Filters and Aperture Cylindermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

et al. 2016

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The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (Athena) will provide spatially resolved high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy from 0.2 to 12 keV, with ∼ 5" pixels over a field of view of 5 arc minute equivalent diameter and a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to 7 keV. In this paper, we first review the core scientific objectives of Athena, driving the main performance parameters of the X-IFU, namely the spectral resolution, the field of view, the effective area, the count rate capabilities, the instrumental background. We also illustrate the breakthrough potential of the X-IFU for some observatory science goals. Then we briefly describe the X-IFU design as defined at the time of the mission consolidation review concluded in May 2016, and report on its predicted performance. Finally, we discuss some options to improve the instrument performance while not increasing its complexity and resource demands (e.g. count rate capability, spectral resolution).The X-IFU will be provided by an international consortium led by France, The Netherlands and Italy, with further ESA member state contributions from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and two international partners from the United States and Japan.

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The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

et al. 2023

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The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory. Athena is a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, as selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), X-IFU aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over a hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain), due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the instrument as presented at its SRR (i.e. in the course of its preliminary definition phase, so-called B1), browsing through all the subsystems and associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters, such as the instrument efficiency, spectral resolution, energy scale knowledge, count rate capability, non X-ray background and target of opportunity efficiency. Finally, we briefly discuss the ongoing key technology demonstration activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument Science Center, touch on communication and outreach activities, the consortium organisation and the life cycle assessment of X-IFU aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU, it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the X-IFU will maintain flagship

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Surface investigation and aluminum oxide estimation on test filters for the ATHENA X-IFU and WFI detectors

Cited by 11 publications

References 14 publications

ATHENA WFI optical blocking filters development status toward the end of the instrument phase-A

ATHENA WFI optical blocking filters development status toward the end of the instrument phase-A

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

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