The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The MOS cameras

Abstract

Abstract. The EPIC focal plane imaging spectrometers on XMM-Newton use CCDs to record the images and spectra of celestial X-ray sources focused by the three X-ray mirrors. There is one camera at the focus of each mirror; two of the cameras contain seven MOS CCDs, while the third uses twelve PN CCDs, defining a circular field of view of 30 diameter in each case. The CCDs were specially developed for EPIC, and combine high quality imaging with spectral resolution close to the Fano limit. A filter wheel carrying three kinds of X-ray transparent light blocking filter, a fully closed, and a fully open position, is fitted to each EPIC instrument. The CCDs are cooled passively and are under full closed loop thermal control. A radio-active source is fitted for internal calibration. Data are processed on-board to save telemetry by removing cosmic ray tracks, and generating X-ray event files; a variety of different instrument modes are available to increase the dynamic range of the instrument and to enable fast timing. The instruments were calibrated using laboratory X-ray beams, and synchrotron generated monochromatic X-ray beams before launch; in-orbit calibration makes use of a variety of celestial X-ray targets. The current calibration is better than 10% over the entire energy range of 0.2 to 10 keV. All three instruments survived launch and are performing nominally in orbit. In particular full field-of-view coverage is available, all electronic modes work, and the energy resolution is close to pre-launch values. Radiation damage is well within pre-launch predictions and does not yet impact on the energy resolution. The scientific results from EPIC amply fulfil pre-launch expectations.

Discovery of X-ray pulsations from a massive star

“…The other three focal instruments, forming together the EPIC camera, are called MOS1 and MOS2 (metal-oxide semiconductor) and PN (pn-CCDs). Compared with the RGSs, the EPIC instruments have a broader wavelength coverage of 1.2-60 Å, but their spectral resolution is much lower (E/DEE20-50) 30,31 . In addition to X-ray telescopes, XMMNewton has also an optical monitor.…”

“…To define the physical properties of the X-ray-emitting plasma in x 1 CMa, we analyse its X-ray spectra. As a first step, the low-resolution data recorded by the EPIC cameras 30,31 are considered. While individual lines, in general, cannot be resolved with the EPIC, the low-resolution spectra cover a broad energy band and allow to constrain the temperature and the emission measure of the hot plasma.…”

A systematic analysis of the XMM-Newton background: IV

“…Indeed, large amounts of data collected by current X-ray observatories remain unexploited because of instrumental background issues. This is particular true for the data collected by the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument [1,2] on-board the ESA XMM-Newton mission [3] in 17 years of observations.…”

Modeling the magnetospheric X‐ray emission from solar wind charge exchange with verification from XMM‐Newton observations

“…The European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) on board XMM-Newton, contains two metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) CCD cameras [Turner et al, 2001] and a single pn-CCD camera [Strüder et al, 2001], which provides a spectral resolution of ΔE E ∼17. We use observations from the EPIC-MOS cameras in this study and all mention of EPIC data refers to the MOS instruments.…”