Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray | (2014) | Publications

Instrumentation of the WSO-UV project
Author(s): Mikhail Sachkov; Boris Shustov; Ana Inés Gómez de Castro

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Update on the CASTOR mission concept: scientific opportunities in the Euclid and WFIRST era
Author(s): Patrick Côté; Alan Scott

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Improved resolution in wide-field ultraviolet astronomical imaging
Author(s): Michael W. Davis; Thomas K. Greathouse; G. Randall Gladstone

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SubLymE: the sub-Lyman alpha explorer
Author(s): James C. Green; Kevin France

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The assembly, calibration, and preliminary results from the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS)
Author(s): Keri Hoadley; Kevin France; Nicholas Nell; Robert Kane; Ted Schultz; Matthew Beasley; James Green; Jen Kulow; Eliot Kersgaard; Brian Fleming

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The UVIT telescopes on board the ISRO Astrosat Observatory
Author(s): J. B. Hutchings

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The extreme UV imager of solar orbiter: from detailed design to flight model
Author(s): J.-P. Halain; P. Rochus; E. Renotte; F. Auchère; D. Berghmans; L. Harra; U. Schühle; W. Schmutz; A. Zhukov; R. Aznar Cuadrado; F. Delmotte; C. Dumesnil; M. Gyo; T. Kennedy; R. Mercier; F. Verbeeck; M. Thome; K. Heerlein; A. Hermans; L. Jacques; A. Mazzoli; S. Meining; L. Rossi; J. Tandy; P. Smith; B. Winter

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In-flight UV and polarized-VL radiometric calibrations of the solar orbiter/METIS imaging coronagraph
Author(s): M. Focardi; G. Capobianco; V. Andretta; C. Sasso; M. Romoli; F. Landini; S. Fineschi; M. Pancrazzi; A. Bemporad; G. Nicolini; S. Pucci; M. Uslenghi; G. Naletto; P. Nicolosi; D. Spadaro; L. Teriaca; U. H. Schühle; E. Antonucci

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The Gamma Cube: a novel concept of gamma-ray telescope
Author(s): F. Lebrun; R. Terrier; P. Laurent; D. Prêle; E. Bréelle; J.-P. Baronick; C. Buy; A. Noury; C. Olivetto; R. Chipaux

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Scientific motivations and technical design considerations for future high-energy gamma-ray telescopes in light of lessons learned from the Fermi Large Area Telescope
Author(s): Eric Charles

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PANGU: A high resolution gamma-ray space telescope
Author(s): Xin Wu; Meng Su; Alessandro Bravar; Jin Chang; Yizhong Fan; Martin Pohl; Roland Walter

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MeV gamma-ray Compton camera using a gaseous electron tracker for background-suppressed observation
Author(s): A. Takada; T. Tanimori; H. Kubo; J. D. Parker; T. Mizumoto; Y. Mizumura; T. Sawano; K. Nakamura; Y. Matsuoka; S. Komura; S. Nakamura; M. Oda; K. Miuchi; S. Kurosawa

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All-sky Compton imager
Author(s): Peter von Ballmoos; Steven E. Boggs; Pierre Jean; Andreas Zoglauer

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PACT: a sensitive 100 keV-10 MeV all sky pairs and Compton telescope
Author(s): P. Laurent; V. Tatischeff; N. de Seréville; O. Limousin; W. Bertoli; E. Bréelle; Y. Dolgorouky; A. Gostojic; C. Hamadache; M. Khalil; J. Kiener

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Sub-MeV all sky survey with a compact Si/CdTe Compton telescope
Author(s): Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Tadayuki Takahashi; Shin Watanabe; Yuto Ichinohe; Shin'ichiro Takeda; Teruaki Enoto; Yasushi Fukazawa; Tuneyoshi Kamae; Motohide Kokubun; Kazuo Makishima; Takefumi Mitani; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Masaharu Nomachi; Hiroyasu Tajima; Takeshi Takashima; Toru Tamagawa; Yukikatsu Terada; Makoto Tashiro; Yasunobu Uchiyama; Tetsuo Yoshimitsu

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X-ray gamma-ray polarimetry small satellite PolariS
Author(s): Kiyoshi Hayashida; Daisuke Yonetoku; Shuichi Gunji; Toru Tamagawa; Tatehiro Mihara; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Tadayasu Dotani; Hidetoshi Kubo; Yoichi Yatsu; Fuyuku Tokanai; Takeshi Nakamori; Shinpei Shibata; Asami Hayato; Akihiro Furuzawa; Yuji Kishimoto; Shunji Kitamoto; Kenji Toma; Masaaki Sadamoto; Keigo Yoshinaga; Juyong Kim; Shunichiro Ide; Fumiyoshi Kamitsukasa; Naohisa Anabuki; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Jun Katagiri; Juri Sugimoto

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Pre-flight performance of a micro-satellite TSUBAME for X-ray polarimetry of gamma-ray bursts
Author(s): Yoichi Yatsu; Kei Ito; Shin Kurita; Makoto Arimoto; Nobuyuki Kawai; Masanori Matsushita; Shota Kawajiri; Shogo Kitamura; Saburo Matunaga; Shin'ichi Kimura; Jun Kataoka; Takeshi Nakamori; Sin Kubo

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The POLAR gamma-ray burst polarimeter onboard the Chinese Spacelab
Author(s): Silvio Orsi; Franck Cadoux; Catherine Leluc; Mercedes Paniccia; Martin Pohl; Divic Rapin; Neal Gauvin; Nicolas Produit; Tianwei Bao; Junying Chai; Yongwei Dong; Minnan Kong; Li Lu; Jiangtao Liu; Xin Liu; Haoli Shi; Jianchao Sun; Ruijie Wang; Xing Wen; Bobing Wu; Hualin Xiao; Hanhui Xu; Li Zhang; Laiyu Zhang; Shuangnan Zhang; Yongjie Zhang; Ilia Britvich; Wojtek Hajdas; Radoslaw Marcinkowski; Dominik K. Rybka; Tadeusz Batsch; Aleksandra Rutczynska; Jacek Szabelski; Ania Zwolinska

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X-ray polarization capabilities of a small explorer mission
Author(s): Keith M. Jahoda; J. Kevin Black; Joanne E. Hill; Timothy R. Kallman; Philip E. Kaaret; Craig B. Markwardt; Takashi Okajima; Robert Petre; Yang Soong; Tod E. Strohmayer; Toru Tamagawa; Yuzuru Tawara

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X-ray polarization measurements hold great promise for studying the geometry and emission mechanisms in the strong gravitational and magnetic fields that surround black holes and neutron stars. In spite of this, the observational situation remains very limited; the last instrument dedicated to X-ray polarimetry flew decades ago on OSO-8, and the few recent measurements have been made by instruments optimized for other purposes. However, the technical capabilities to greatly advance the observational situation are in hand. Recent developments in micro-pattern gas detectors allow use of the polarization sensitivity of the photo-electric effect, which is the dominant interaction in the band above 2 keV. We present the scientific and technical requirements for an X-ray polarization observatory consistent with the scope of a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission, along with a representative catalog of what the observational capabilities and expected sensitivities for the first year of operation could be. The mission is based on the technically robust design of the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX (GEMS) which completed a Phase B study and Preliminary Design Review in 2012. The GEMS mission is enabled by time projection detectors sensitive to the photo-electric effect. Prototype detectors have been designed, and provide engineering and performance data which support the mission design. The detectors are further characterized by low background, modest spectral resolution, and sub-millisecond timing resolution. The mission also incorporates high efficiency grazing incidence X-ray mirrors, design features that reduce systematic errors (identical telescopes at different azimuthal angles with respect to the look axis, and mounted on a rotating spacecraft platform), and a moderate capability to perform Target of Opportunity observations. The mission operates autonomously in a low earth, low inclination orbit with one to ten downlinks per day and one or more uplinks per week. Data and calibration products will be made available through the High Energy Astrophysics Science and Archival Research Center (HEASARC).

POET: a SMEX mission for gamma ray burst polarimetry
Author(s): Mark L. McConnell; Matthew Baring; Peter Bloser; Joseph F. Dwyer; A. Gordon Emslie; Camden D. Ertley; Jochen Greiner; Alice K. Harding; Dieter H. Hartmann; Joanne E. Hill; Philip Kaaret; R. Marc Kippen; David Mattingly; Sheila McBreen; Mark Pearce; Nicolas Produit; James M. Ryan; Felix Ryde; Takanori Sakamoto; Kenji Toma; W. Thomas Vestrand; Bing Zhang

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Fifteen years of Chandra operation: scientific highlights and lessons learned
Author(s): Martin C. Weisskopf; Harvey Tananbaum; Wallace Tucker; Belinda Wilkes; Randy Baggett; Roger Brissenden; Peter Edmonds; Edward Mattison

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Lessons we learned designing and building the Chandra telescope
Author(s): Jonathan Arenberg; Gary Matthews; C. Atkinson; L. Cohen; C. Golisano; K. Havey; K. Hefner; C. Jones; J. Kegley; P. Knollenberg; T. Lavoie; J. Oliver; P. Plucinsky; H. Tananbaum; S. Texter; M. C. Weisskopf

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Fifteen years of experience with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer on XMM-Newton
Author(s): C. P. de Vries; J. W. den Herder; R. Gonzalez-Riestra; C. Gabriel; J. S. Kaastra; A. J. J. Raassen; F. B. S. Paerels; A. M. T. Pollock; I. Ibarra

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Lessons from the development and operation of the Chandra x-ray observatory
Author(s): Daniel A. Schwartz

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Space astronomy and astrophysics program by NASA
Author(s): Paul L. Hertz

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Space astronomy and astrophysics program by CSA
Author(s): Denis Laurin; Alain Ouellet; Jean Dupuis; Ruth-Ann Chicoine

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Canada became actively engaged in space astronomy in the 1990s by contributing two fine guidance sensors to the FUSE Far-UV mission (NASA 1999-2008). In the same period, Canada contributed to ODIN’s infrared instrument (ESA 2001-2006) and correlators for VSOP (JAXA 1997-2005). In early 2000, Canada developed its own space telescope, Micro-variability and Observations of STars (MOST), a 15-cm telescope on a microsatellite, operating since 2003, and more recently contributed to the realization of the BRITE nanosatellites constellation. Canada also provided hardware to the European Space Agency’s Herschel HIFI instrument and simulators to the SPIRE instrument and data analysis tools for Planck. More recently the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) delivered detector units for the UVIT instrument on board the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ASTROSAT. The CSA’s most important contribution to a space astronomy mission to date is the Fine Guidance Senor (FGS) and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The CSA is currently building the laser metrology system for JAXA’s ASTRO-H hard X-ray telescope. Canadian astronomers contributed to several high profile stratospheric balloon projects investigating the CMB and the CSA recently established a balloon launch facility. As expressed in Canada’s new Space Policy Framework announced in February 2014, Canada remains committed to future space exploration endeavors. The policy aims at ensure that Canada is a sought-after partner in the international space exploration missions that serve Canada’s national interests; and continuing to invest in the development of Canadian contributions in the form of advanced systems and optical instruments. In the longer term, through consultations and in keeping the Canadian astronomical community’s proposed Long Range Plan, the CSA is exploring possibilities to contributions to important missions such as WFIRST, SPICA and Athena and in other areas, by initiating concept and pre-mission studies and enabling technology developments. These reflect the following scientific priorities identified: dark energy and the accelerating universe, addressed by large survey missions; high-energy astrophysics, which includes UV and X-ray missions; and the understanding of star formation and proto-planetary systems and to begin characterizing exoplanets, mainly by infra-red space observatories.

The high energy cosmic-radiation detection (HERD) facility onboard China's Space Station
Author(s): S. N. Zhang; O. Adriani; S. Albergo; G. Ambrosi; Q. An; T. W. Bao; R. Battiston; X. J. Bi; Z. Cao; J. Y. Chai; J. Chang; G. M. Chen; Y. Chen; X. H. Cui; Z. G. Dai; R. D'Alessandro; Y. W. Dong; Y. Z. Fan; C. Q. Feng; H. Feng; Z. Y. Feng; X. H. Gao; F. Gargano; N. Giglietto; Q. B. Gou; Y. Q. Guo; B. L. Hu; H. B. Hu; H. H. He; G. S. Huang; J. Huang; Y. F. Huang; H. Li; L. Li; Y. G. Li; Z. Li; E. W. Liang; H. Liu; J. B. Liu; J. T. Liu; S. B. Liu; S. M. Liu; X. Liu; J. G. Lu; M. N. Mazziotta; N. Mori; S. Orsi; M. Pearce; M. Pohl; Z. Quan; F. Ryde; H. L. Shi; P. Spillantini; M. Su; J. C. Sun; X. L. Sun; Z. C. Tang; R. Walter; J. C. Wang; J. M. Wang; L. Wang; R. J. Wang; X. L. Wang; X. Y. Wang; Z. G. Wang; D. M. Wei; B. B. Wu; J. Wu; X. Wu; X. F. Wu; J. Q. Xia; H. L. Xiao; H. H. Xu; M. Xu; Z. Z. Xu; H. R. Yan; P. F. Yin; Y. W. Yu; Q. Yuan; M. Zha; L. Zhang; L. Zhang; L. Y. Zhang; Y. Zhang; Y. J. Zhang; Y. L. Zhang; Z. G. Zhao

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Large high impedance silicon micro-calorimeters for x-rays camera: status and perspectives
Author(s): J. L. Sauvageot; C. Pigot; X. de la Broïse; A. Le Coguie; F. Lugiez; J. Martignac; G. I. Groza; T. Charvolin; A. Bounab; R. Gastaud

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Development of DEPFET active pixel sensors to improve the spectroscopic response for high time resolution applications
Author(s): Alexander Bähr; Stefan Aschauer; Bettina Bergbauer; Peter H. Lechner; Petra Majewski; Norbert Meidinger; Sabine M. Ott; Matteo Porro; Rainer H. Richter; Lothar Strüder; Johannes Treis

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Development and performance of Kyoto's x-ray astronomical SOI pixel (SOIPIX) sensor
Author(s): Takeshi G. Tsuru; Hideaki Matsumura; Ayaki Takeda; Takaaki Tanaka; Shinya Nakashima; Yasuo Arai; Koji Mori; Ryota Takenaka; Yusuke Nishioka; Takayoshi Kohmura; Takaki Hatsui; Takashi Kameshima; Kyosuke Ozaki; Yoshiki Kohmura; Tatsuya Wagai; Dai Takei; Shoji Kawahito; Keiichiro Kagawa; Keita Yasutomi; Sumeet Shrestha; Hiroki Kamehama

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ART-XC/SRG: status of the x-ray focal plane detector development
Author(s): Vasily Levin; Mikhail Pavlinsky; Valeriy Akimov; Maria Kuznetsova; Alexey Rotin; Alexander Krivchenko; Igor Lapshov; Vladimir Oleinikov

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Scintillators with silicon photomultiplier readouts for high-energy astrophysics and heliophysics
Author(s): Peter F. Bloser; Jason S. Legere; Christopher M. Bancroft; Mark L. McConnell; James M. Ryan

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Affordable and lightweight high-resolution x-ray optics for astronomical missions
Author(s): W. W. Zhang; M. P. Biskach; V. T. Bly; J. M. Carter; K. W. Chan; J. A. Gaskin; M. Hong; B. R. Hohl; W. D. Jones; J. J. Kolodziejczak; L. D. Kolos; J. R. Mazzarella; R. S. McClelland; K. P. McKeon; T. M. Miller; S. L. O'Dell; R. E. Riveros; T. T. Saha; M. J. Schofield; M. V. Sharpe; H. C. Smith

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X-ray optical units made of glass: achievements and perspectives
Author(s): M. Civitani; S. Basso; M. Ghigo; G. Pareschi; B. Salmaso; D. Spiga; G. Tagliaferri; G. Vecchi; V. Burwitz; G. D. Hartner; B. Menz

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Optical design for a survey x-ray telescope
Author(s): Timo T. Saha; William W. Zhang; Ryan S. McClelland

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Next generation hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray optic design and implementation
Author(s): Nicolai F. Brejnholt; Marie-Anne Descalle; Regina Soufli; Michael J. Pivovaroff

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Fabrication of large-area and low mass critical-angle x-ray transmission gratings
Author(s): Ralf K. Heilmann; Alex R. Bruccoleri; Dong Guan; Mark L. Schattenburg

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Progress on indirect glass slumping for future x-ray telescope optics
Author(s): Anita Winter; Elias Breunig; Peter Friedrich; Laura Proserpio

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Measuring the performance of adjustable x-ray optics with wavefront sensing
Author(s): Ryan Allured; Vincenzo Cotroneo; Raegan Johnson-Wilke; Vanessa Marquez; Stuart McMuldroch; Paul B. Reid; Daniel A. Schwartz; Susan Trolier-McKinstry; Alexey Vikhlinin; Rudeger H.T. Wilke

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Development of the x-ray timing and polarization telescope optics
Author(s): Zhanshan Wang; Zhengxiang Shen; Baozhong Mu; Xin Wang; Xinyan Yang; Li Jiang; Runze Qi; Mingwu Wen; Zhong Zhang; Bin Ma

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Miniature lightweight x-ray optics (MiXO) for solar system exploration
Author(s): J. Hong; S. Romaine

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Development of light weight replicated x-ray optics, II
Author(s): S. Romaine; R. Bruni; B. Choi; C. Jensen; K. Kilaru; B. Ramsey; S. Sampath

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A high-energy Compton polarimeter for the POET SMEX mission
Author(s): Peter F. Bloser; Mark L. McConnell; Jason S. Legere; Camden D. Ertley; Joanne E. Hill; Marc Kippen; James M. Ryan

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WPOL: a DSSD-based hard x-ray wide field imager and polarimeter
Author(s): P. Laurent; W. Bertoli; E. Breelle; Y. Dolgorouky; C. Gouiffès; M. Khalil; O. Limousin; F. Lebrun; J. Rodriguez

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The use of laterally graded multilayer mirrors for soft X-ray polarimetry
Author(s): Herman L. Marshall; Norbert S. Schulz; David L. Windt; Eric M. Gullikson; Eric Blake; Dan Getty; Zane McInturff

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Development of the depth-graded multilayers for XTP mission
Author(s): Li Jiang; Runze Qi; Mingwu Wen; Zhong Zhang; Bin Ma; Zhanshan Wang; Yuhong Bai

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HARPO: a TPC as a gamma-ray telescope and polarimeter
Author(s): Denis Bernard; Philippe Bruel; Mickael Frotin; Yannick Geerebaert; Berrie Giebels; Philippe Gros; Deirdre Horan; Marc Louzir; Patrick Poilleux; Igor Semeniouk; Shaobo Wang; Shebli Anvar; David Attié; Paul Colas; Alain Delbart; Patrick Sizun; Diego Götz

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Design improvements and x-ray performance of a time projection chamber polarimeter for persistent astronomical sources
Author(s): Joanne E. Hill; J. Kevin Black; Thomas J. Emmett; Teruaki Enoto; Keith M. Jahoda; Philip Kaaret; David S. Nolan; Toru Tamagawa

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MAXI: all-sky observation from the International Space Station
Author(s): Tatehiro Mihara; Mutsumi Sugizaki; Masaru Matsuoka; Hiroshi Tomida; Shiro Ueno; Hitoshi Negoro; Atsumasa Yoshida; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Motoki Nakajima; Yoshihiro Ueda; Makoto Yamauchi

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The nuclear spectroscopic telescope array (NuSTAR) high-energy X-ray mission
Author(s): Kristin K. Madsen; Fiona A. Harrison; Hongjun An; Steven E. Boggs; Finn E. Christensen; Rick Cook; William W. Craig; Karl Forster; Felix Fuerst; Brian Grefenstette; Charles J. Hailey; Takao Kitaguchi; Craig Markwardt; Peter Mao; Hiromasa Miyasaka; Vikram R. Rana; Daniel K. Stern; William W. Zhang; Andreas Zoglauer; Dominic Walton; Niels J. Westergaard

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In-flight PSF calibration of the NuSTAR hard X-ray optics
Author(s): Hongjun An; Kristin K. Madsen; Niels J. Westergaard; Steven E. Boggs; Finn E. Christensen; William W. Craig; Charles J. Hailey; Fiona A. Harrison; Daniel K. Stern; William W. Zhang

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Inflight performance and calibration of the NuSTAR CdZnTe pixel detectors
Author(s): Takao Kitaguchi; Varun Bhalerao; W. Rick Cook; Karl Forster; Brian W. Grefenstette; Fiona A. Harrison; Kristin K. Madsen; Peter H. Mao; Hiromasa Miyasaka; Vikram R. Rana

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ASTROSAT mission
Author(s): Kulinder Pal Singh; S. N. Tandon; P. C. Agrawal; H. M. Antia; R. K. Manchanda; J. S. Yadav; S. Seetha; M. C. Ramadevi; A. R. Rao; D. Bhattacharya; B. Paul; P. Sreekumar; S. Bhattacharyya; G. C. Stewart; J. Hutchings; S. A Annapurni; S. K. Ghosh; J. Murthy; A. Pati; N. K. Rao; C .S. Stalin; V. Girish; K. Sankarasubramanian; S. Vadawale; V. B. Bhalerao; G. C. Dewangan; D. K. Dedhia; M. K. Hingar; T. B. Katoch; A. T. Kothare; I. Mirza; K. Mukerjee; H. Shah; P. Shah; R. Mohan; A. K. Sangal; S. Nagabhusana; S. Sriram; J. P. Malkar; S. Sreekumar; A. F. Abbey; G. M. Hansford; A. P. Beardmore; M. R. Sharma; S. Murthy; R. Kulkarni; G. Meena; V. C. Babu; J. Postma

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eROSITA on SRG
Author(s): Peter Predehl; Robert Andritschke; Werner Becker; Walter Bornemann; Heinrich Bräuninger; Hermann Brunner; Thomas Boller; Vadim Burwitz; Wolfgang Burkert; Nicolas Clerc; Evgeniy Churazov; Diogo Coutinho; Konrad Dennerl; Josef Eder; Valentin Emberger; Tanja Eraerds; Michael J. Freyberg; Peter Friedrich; Maria Fürmetz; Antonis Georgakakis; Christoph Grossberger; Frank Haberl; Olaf Hälker; Gisela Hartner; Günther Hasinger; Johannes Hoelzl; Heinrich Huber; Andreas von Kienlin; Walter Kink; Ingo Kreykenbohm; Georg Lamer; Ilya Lomakin; Igor Lapchov; Lorenzo Lovisari; Norbert Meidinger; Andrea Merloni; Benjamin Mican; Joseph Mohr; Siegfried Müller; Kirpal Nandra; Florian Pacaud; Mikhail N. Pavlinsky; Emanuele Perinati; Elmar Pfeffermann; Daniel Pietschner; Jonas Reiffers; Thomas Reiprich; Jan Robrade; Mara Salvato; Andrea E. Santangelo; Manami Sasaki; Hartmut Scheuerle; Christian Schmid; Jürgen Schmitt; Axel D. Schwope; Rashid Sunyaev; Christoph Tenzer; Lars Tiedemann; Weizong Xu; Valeri Yaroshenko; Sabine Walther; Michael Wille; Jörn Wilms; Yu-Ying Zhang

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Status of ART-XC/SRG instrument
Author(s): M. Pavlinsky; V. Akimov; V. Levin; I. Lapshov; A. Tkachenko; N. Semena; M. Buntov; A. Glushenko; V. Arefiev; A. Yaskovich; R. Sunyaev; E. Churazov; M. Gilfanov; S. Grebenev; S. Sazonov; M. Revnivtsev; A. Lutovinov; S. Molkov; M. Kudelin; T. Drozdova; S. Garanin; S. Grigorovich; D. Litvin; V. Lazarchuk; I. Roiz; M. Garin; V. Babyshkin; I. Lomakin; A. Menderov; D. Moskvinov; M. Gubarev; B. Ramsey; K. Kilaru; S. L. O'Dell; J. Kolodziejczak; R. Elsner

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ART-XC/SRG: status of the x-ray optics development
Author(s): M. Gubarev; B. Ramsey; R. Elsner; S. O'Dell; J. Kolodziejczak; J. McCracken; V. Zavlin; D. Swartz; K. Kilaru; C. Atkins; M. Pavlinsky; A. Tkachenko; I. Lapshov

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Report on the eROSITA camera system
Author(s): Norbert Meidinger; Robert Andritschke; Walter Bornemann; Diogo Coutinho; Valentin Emberger; Olaf Hälker; Walter Kink; Benjamin Mican; Siegfried Müller; Daniel Pietschner; Peter Predehl; Jonas Reiffers

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The eROSITA space telescope is currently developed for the determination of cosmological parameters and the equation of state of dark energy via evolution of clusters of galaxies. Furthermore, the instrument development was strongly motivated by the intention of a first imaging X-ray all-sky survey enabling measurements above 2 keV. eROSITA is a scientific payload on the Russian research satellite SRG. Its destination after launch is the Lagrangian point L2. The observational program of the observatory divides into an all-sky survey and pointed observations and takes in total about 7.5 years. The instrument comprises an array of 7 identical and parallel aligned telescopes. Each of the seven focal plane cameras is equipped with a PNCCD detector, an enhanced type of the XMM-Newton focal plane detector. This instrumentation permits spectroscopy and imaging of X-rays in the energy band from 0.3 keV to 10 keV with a field of view of 1.0 degree. The camera development is done at the Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial physics. Key component of each camera is the PNCCD chip. This silicon sensor is a back-illuminated, fully depleted and column-parallel type of charge coupled device. The image area of the 450 micron thick frame-transfer CCD comprises an array of 384 x 384 pixels, each with a size of 75 micron x 75 micron. Readout of the signal charge that is generated by an incident X-ray photon in the CCD is accomplished by an ASIC, the so-called eROSITA CAMEX. It provides 128 parallel analog signal processing channels but multiplexes the signals finally to one output which feeds the detector signals to a fast 14-bit ADC. The read noise of this system is equivalent to a noise charge of about 2.5 electrons rms. We achieve an energy resolution close to the theoretical limit given by Fano noise (except for very low energies). For example, the FWHM at an energy of 5.9 keV is approximately 140 eV. The complete camera assembly comprises the camera head with the detector as key component, the electronics for detector operation as well as data acquisition and the filter wheel unit. In addition to the on-chip light blocking filter directly deposited on the photon entrance window of the PNCCD, an external filter can be moved in front of the sensor, which serves also for contamination protection. Furthermore, an on-board calibration source emitting several fluorescence lines is accommodated on the filter wheel mechanism for the purpose of in-orbit calibration. Since the spectroscopic silicon sensors need cooling down to -95°C to mitigate best radiation damage effects, an elaborate cooling system is necessary. It consists of two different types of heat pipes linking the seven detectors to two radiators. Based on the tests with an engineering model, a flight design was developed for the camera and a qualification model has been built. The tests and the performance of this camera is presented in the following. In conclusion an outlook on the flight cameras is given.

The calibration and testing of the eROSITA X-ray mirror assemblies
Author(s): Vadim Burwitz; Peter Predehl; Peter Friedrich; Heinrich Bräuninger; Josef Eder; Elmar Pfeffermann; Wolfgang Burkert; Konrad Dennerl; Gisela Hartner; Benedikt Menz; Maria Fürmetz; Giuseppe Valsecchi; Fabio Marioni; Gabriele Grisoni

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Estimation of observation possibility of the x-ray interferometer with an x-ray beam-splitter
Author(s): S. Kitamoto; S. Ogawa; T. Komatsu; R. Umezu; J. Sugimoto; H. Suzuki; D. Nambu; H. Tsumura; H. Seta; A. Hoshino; Sae Aikawa; Yutaro Niizuma

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The neutron star interior composition explorer (NICER): mission definition
Author(s): Z. Arzoumanian; K. C. Gendreau; C. L. Baker; T. Cazeau; P. Hestnes; J. W. Kellogg; S. J. Kenyon; R. P. Kozon; K.-C. Liu; S. S. Manthripragada; C. B. Markwardt; A. L. Mitchell; J. W. Mitchell; C. A. Monroe; T. Okajima; S. E. Pollard; D. F. Powers; B. J. Savadkin; L. B. Winternitz; P. T. Chen; M. R. Wright; R. Foster; G. Prigozhin; R. Remillard; J. Doty

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Introduction to the hard x-ray modulation telescope
Author(s): S. Zhang; F. J. Lu; S. N. Zhang; T. P. Li

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The French payload on-board the SVOM French-Chinese mission
Author(s): Karine Mercier; François Gonzalez; Martine Jouret-Perl; Jean-Luc Atteia; Pierre Mandrou; Roger Pons; Stéphane Basa; Bertrand Cordier; Diego Götz; Frederic Pinsard; Stéphane Schanne; Cyril Lachaud; Jianyan Wei; Shuangnan Zhang

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The microchannel x-ray telescope for the gamma-ray burst mission SVOM
Author(s): D. Götz; J. Osborne; B. Cordier; J. Paul; P. Evans; A. Beardmore; A. Martindale; R. Willingale; P. O'Brien; S. Basa; C. Rossin; O. Godet; N. Webb; J. Greiner; K. Nandra; N. Meidinger; E. Perinati; A. Santangelo; K. Mercier; F. Gonzalez

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The x-/gamma-ray camera ECLAIRs for the gamma-ray burst mission SVOM
Author(s): O. Godet; G. Nasser; J.-. Atteia; B. Cordier; P. Mandrou; D. Barret; H. Triou; R. Pons; C. Amoros; S. Bordon; O. Gevin; F. Gonzalez; D. Götz; A. Gros; B. Houret; C. Lachaud; K. Lacombe; W. Marty; K. Mercier; D. Rambaud; P. Ramon; G. Rouaix; S. Schanne; V. Waegebaert

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The ASTRO-H X-ray astronomy satellite
Author(s): Tadayuki Takahashi; Kazuhisa Mitsuda; Richard Kelley; Felix Aharonian; Hiroki Akamatsu; Fumie Akimoto; Steve Allen; Naohisa Anabuki; Lorella Angelini; Keith Arnaud; Makoto Asai; Marc Audard; Hisamitsu Awaki; Philipp Azzarello; Chris Baluta; Aya Bamba; Nobutaka Bando; Marshall Bautz; Thomas Bialas; Roger D. Blandford; Kevin Boyce; Laura Brenneman; Gregory Brown; Ed Cackett; Edgar Canavan; Maria Chernyakova; Meng Chiao; Paolo Coppi; Elisa Costantini; Jelle de Plaa; Jan-Willem den Herder; Michael DiPirro; Chris Done; Tadayasu Dotani; John Doty; Ken Ebisawa; Teruaki Enoto; Yuichiro Ezoe; Andrew Fabian; Carlo Ferrigno; Adam Foster; Ryuichi Fujimoto; Yasushi Fukazawa; Stefan Funk; Akihiro Furuzawa; Massimiliano Galeazzi; Luigi Gallo; Poshak Gandhi; Kirk Gilmore; Matteo Guainazzi; Daniel Haas; Yoshito Haba; Kenji Hamaguchi; Atsushi Harayama; Isamu Hatsukade; Katsuhiro Hayashi; Takayuki Hayashi; Kiyoshi Hayashida; Junko Hiraga; Kazuyuki Hirose; Ann Hornschemeier; Akio Hoshino; John Hughes; Una Hwang; Ryo Iizuka; Yoshiyuki Inoue; Kazunori Ishibashi; Manabu Ishida; Kumi Ishikawa; Kosei Ishimura; Yoshitaka Ishisaki; Masayuki Itoh; Naoko Iwata; Naoko Iyomoto; Chris Jewell; Jelle Kaastra; Timothy Kallman; Tuneyoshi Kamae; Jun Kataoka; Satoru Katsuda; Junichiro Katsuta; Madoka Kawaharada; Nobuyuki Kawai; Taro Kawano; Shigeo Kawasaki; Dmitry Khangaluyan; Caroline Kilbourne; Mark Kimball; Masashi Kimura; Shunji Kitamoto; Tetsu Kitayama; Takayoshi Kohmura; Motohide Kokubun; Saori Konami; Tatsuro Kosaka; Alexander Koujelev; Katsuji Koyama; Hans Krimm; Aya Kubota; Hideyo Kunieda; Stephanie LaMassa; Philippe Laurent; François Lebrun; Maurice Leutenegger; Olivier Limousin; Michael Loewenstein; Knox Long; David Lumb; Grzegorz Madejski; Yoshitomo Maeda; Kazuo Makishima; Maxim Markevitch; Candace Masters; Hironori Matsumoto; Kyoko Matsushita; Dan McCammon; Daniel McGuinness; Brian McNamara; Joseph Miko; Jon Miller; Eric Miller; Shin Mineshige; Kenji Minesugi; Ikuyuki Mitsuishi; Takuya Miyazawa; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Koji Mori; Hideyuki Mori; Franco Moroso; Theodore Muench; Koji Mukai; Hiroshi Murakami; Toshio Murakami; Richard Mushotzky; Housei Nagano; Ryo Nagino; Takao Nakagawa; Hiroshi Nakajima; Takeshi Nakamori; Shinya Nakashima; Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Yoshiharu Namba; Chikara Natsukari; Yusuke Nishioka; Masayoshi Nobukawa; Hirofumi Noda; Masaharu Nomachi; Steve O'Dell; Hirokazu Odaka; Hiroyuki Ogawa; Mina Ogawa; Keiji Ogi; Takaya Ohashi; Masanori Ohno; Masayuki Ohta; Takashi Okajima; Tsuyoshi Okazaki; Naomi Ota; Masanobu Ozaki; Frits Paerels; Stéphane Paltani; Arvind Parmar; Robert Petre; Ciro Pinto; Martin Pohl; James Pontius; F. Scott Porter; Katja Pottschmidt; Brian Ramsey; Rubens Reis; Christopher Reynolds; Claudio Ricci; Helena Russell; Samar Safi-Harb; Shinya Saito; Shin-ichiro Sakai; Hiroaki Sameshima; Kosuke Sato; Rie Sato; Goro Sato; Makoto Sawada; Peter Serlemitsos; Hiromi Seta; Yasuko Shibano; Maki Shida; Takanobu Shimada; Peter Shirron; Aurora Simionescu; Cynthia Simmons; Randall Smith; Gary Sneiderman; Yang Soong; Lukasz Stawarz; Yasuharu Sugawara; Satoshi Sugita; Andrew Szymkowiak; Hiroyasu Tajima; Hiroaki Takahashi; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Shin-ichiro Takeda; Yoh Takei; Toru Tamagawa; Keisuke Tamura; Takayuki Tamura; Takaaki Tanaka; Yasuyuki Tanaka; Yasuo Tanaka; Makoto Tashiro; Yuzuru Tawara; Yukikatsu Terada; Yuichi Terashima; Francesco Tombesi; Hiroshi Tomida; Yoko Tsuboi; Masahiro Tsujimoto; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Takeshi Tsuru; Hiroyuki Uchida; Hideki Uchiyama; Yasunobu Uchiyama; Yoshihiro Ueda; Shutaro Ueda; Shiro Ueno; Shinichiro Uno; Meg Urry; Eugenio Ursino; Cor de Vries; Atsushi Wada; Shin Watanabe; Tomomi Watanabe; Norbert Werner; Nicholas White; Dan Wilkins; Shinya Yamada; Takahiro Yamada; Hiroya Yamaguchi; Kazutaka Yamaoka; Noriko Yamasaki; Makoto Yamauchi; Shigeo Yamauchi; Tahir Yaqoob; Yoichi Yatsu; Daisuke Yonetoku; Atsumasa Yoshida; Takayuki Yuasa; Irina Zhuravleva; Abderahmen Zoghbi; John ZuHone

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ASTRO-H Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT)
Author(s): Hisamitsu Awaki; Hideyo Kunieda; Akihiro Furuzawa; Yoshito Haba; Takayuki Hayashi; Ryo Iizuka; Kazunori Ishibashi; Manabu Ishida; Masayuki Itoh; Tatsuro Kosaka; Yoshitomo Maeda; Hironori Matsumoto; Takuya Miyazawa; Hideyuki Mori; Hosei Nagano; Yoshiharu Namba; Yasushi Ogasaka; Keiji Ogi; Takashi Okajima; Satoshi Sugita; Yoshio Suzuki; Keisuke Tamura; Yuzuru Tawara; Kentaro Uesugi; Koujun Yamashita; Shigeo Yamauchi

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The Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) for the ASTRO-H Mission
Author(s): Goro Sato; Motohide Kokubun; Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Teruaki Enoto; Yasushi Fukazawa; Atsushi Harayama; Katsuhiro Hayashi; Jun Kataoka; Junichiro Katsuta; Madoka Kawaharada; Philippe Laurent; François Lebrun; Olivier Limousin; Kazuo Makishima; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Kunishiro Mori; Takeshi Nakamori; Hirofumi Noda; Hirokazu Odaka; Masanori Ohno; Masayuki Ohta; Shinya Saito; Rie Sato; Hiroyasu Tajima; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Tadayuki Takahashi; Shinichiro Takeda; Yukikatsu Terada; Hideki Uchiyama; Yasunobu Uchiyama; Shin Watanabe; Kazutaka Yamaoka; Yoichi Yatsu; Takayuki Yuasa

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ASTRO-H Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT)
Author(s): Yang Soong; Takashi Okajima; Peter J. Serlemitsos; Stephen L. Odell; Brian D. Ramsey; Mikhail V. Gubarev; Manabu Ishida; Yoshitomo Maeda; Ryo Iizuka; Takayuki Hayashi; Yuzuru Tawara; Akihiro Furuzawa; Hideyuki Mori; Takuya Miyazawa; Hideyo Kunieda; Hisamitsu Awaki; Satoshi Sugita; Keisuke Tamura; Kazunori Ishibashi; Takanori Izumiya; Sari Minami; Toshiki Sato; Kazuki Tomikawa; Naomichi Kikuchi; Toshihiro Iwase

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ASTRO-H is an astrophysics satellite dedicated for non-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic study on selective celestial X-ray sources. Among the onboard instruments there are four Wolter-I X-ray mirrors of their reflectors’ figure in conical approximation. Two of the four are soft X-ray mirrors¹, of which the energy range is from a few hundred eV to 15 keV within the effective aperture being defined by the nested reflectors’ radius ranging between 5.8 cm to 22.5 cm. The focal point instruments will be a calorimeter (SXS) and a CCD camera (SXI), respectively. The mirrors were in quadrant configuration with photons being reflected consecutively in the primary and secondary stage before converging on the focal plane of 5.6 m away from the interface between the two stages. The reflectors of the mirror are made of heat-formed aluminum substrate of the thickness gauged of 152 μm, 229 μm, and 305 μm of the alloy 5052 H-19, followed by epoxy replication on gold-sputtered smooth Pyrex cylindrical mandrels to acquire the X-ray reflective surface. The epoxy layer is 10 m nominal and surface gold layer of 0.2 μm. Improvements on angular response over its predecessors, e.g. Astro-E1/Suzaku mirrors, come from error reduction on the figure, the roundness, and the grazing angle/radius mismatching of the reflecting surface, and tighter specs and mechanical strength on supporting structure to reduce the reflector positioning and the assembly errors. Each soft x-ray telescope (SXT), SXT-1 or SXT-2, were integrated from four independent quadrants of mirrors. The stray-light baffles, in quadrant configuration, were mounted onto the integrated mirror. Thermal control units were attached to the perimeter of the integrated mirror to keep the mirror within operating temperature in space. The completed instrument went through a series of optical alignment, thus made the quadrant images confocal and their optical axes in parallel to achieve highest throughput possible. Environmental tests were carried out, and optical quality of the telescopes has been confirmed. SXT-1 and -2 were tested with the broad but slightly divergent beam, up to 8 arc-minutes, at Goddard. The full characterization were carried out in Japan which includes: angular resolution, effective area in the energy range of ~ 0.4 – 12keV, off-axis response at various energies, etc. We report the calibration results of the SXT-1 and -2 that were obtained at NASA/Goddard and JAXA/ISAS. The detailed calibration are reported in the two papers in this conference: 9144-206, "Ground-based x-ray calibration of the ASTRO-H soft x-ray telescopes" by R. Iizuka et al. and 9144-207, "Revealing a detailed performance of the soft x-ray telescopes of the ASTRO-H mission" by T. Sato, et al. Some small but significant discrepancies existed between ISAS and Goddard measurements that were attributed to the difference of the X-ray beams - pencil beam vs divergent beam.

Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) onboard ASTRO-H
Author(s): Kiyoshi Hayashida; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Takeshi Go Tsuru; Tadayasu Dotani; Hiroshi Nakajima; Naohisa Anabuki; Ryo Nagino; Shutaro Ueda; Takaaki Tanaka; Hiroyuki Uchida; Masayoshi Nobukawa; Masayuki Ozaki; Chikara Natsukari; Junko S. Hiraga; Hiroshi Tomida; Masashi Kimura; Tadayoshi Kohmura; Hiroshi Murakami; Koji Mori; Makoto Yamauchi; Isamu Hatsukade; Yusuke Nishioka; Aya Bamba; Shuhei Katada; Kumiko Kawabata Nobukawa; Masachika Iwai; Keisuke Kondo; Tukasa Takeyoshi; John P. Doty

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Soft x-ray spectrometer (SXS): the high-resolution cryogenic spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H
Author(s): Kazuhisa Mitsuda; Richard L. Kelley; Hiroki Akamatsu; Thomas Bialas; Kevin R. Boyce; Gregory V. Brown; Edgar Canavan; Meng Chiao; Elisa Costantini; Jan-Willem den Herder; Cor de Vries; Michael J. DiPirro; Megan E. Eckart; Yuichiro Ezoe; Ryuichi Fujimoto; Daniel Haas; Akio Hoshino; Kumi Ishikawa; Yoshitaka Ishisaki; Naoko Iyomoto; Caroline A. Kilbourne; Mark Kimball; Shunji Kitamoto; Saori Konami; Maurice A. Leutenegger; Dan McCammon; Joseph Miko; Ikuyuki Mitsuishi; Hiroshi Murakami; Masahide Murakami; Hirofumi Noda; Mina Ogawa; Takaya Ohashi; Atsushi Okamoto; Naomi Ota; Stéphane Paltani; F. Scott Porter; Kosuke Sato; Yoichi Sato; Makoto Sawada; Hiromi Seta; Keisuke Shinozaki; Peter J. Shirron; Gary A. Sneiderman; Hiroyuki Sugita; Andrew Szymkowiak; Yoh Takei; Toru Tamagawa; Makoto S. Tashiro; Yukikatsu Terada; Masahiro Tsujimoto; Shinya Yamada; Noriko Y. Yamasaki

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Soft gamma-ray detector (SGD) onboard the ASTRO-H mission
Author(s): Yasushi Fukazawa; Hiroyasu Tajima; Shin Watanabe; Roger Blandford; Katsuhiro Hayashi; Atsushi Harayama; Jun Kataoka; Madoka Kawaharada; Motohide Kokubun; Philippe Laurent; François Lebrun; Olivier Limousin; Grzegorz M. Madejski; Kazuo Makishima; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Kunishiro Mori; Takeshi Nakamori; Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Hirofumi Noda; Hirokazu Odaka; Masanori Ohno; Masayuki Ohta; Shin'ya Saito; Goro Sato; Rie Sato; Shin'ichiro Takeda; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Tadayuki Takahashi; Yasuyuki Tanaka; Yukikatsu Terada; Hideki Uchiyama; Yasunobu Uchiyama; Kazutaka Yamaoka; Yoichi Yatsu; Daisuke Yonetoku; Takayuki Yuasa

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Science requirements and optimization of the silicon pore optics design for the Athena mirror
Author(s): R. Willingale; G. Pareschi; F. Christensen; J.-W. den Herder; D. Ferreira; A. Jakobsen; M. Ackermann; M. Collon; M. Bavdaz

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Preparing the optics technology to observe the hot universe
Author(s): Marcos Bavdaz; Eric Wille; Kotska Wallace; Brian Shortt; Sebastiaan Fransen; Maximilien Collon; Marcelo Ackermann; Giuseppe Vacanti; Ramses Guenther; Jeroen Haneveld; Mark Olde Riekerink; Coen van Baren; Dirk Kampf; Karl-Heinz Zuknik; Finn Christensen; Desiree Della Monica Ferreira; Anders Clemen Jakobsen; Michael Krumrey; Peter Müller; Vadim Burwitz; Giovanni Pareschi; Mauro Ghigo

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Making the ATHENA optics using silicon pore optics
Author(s): Maximilien J. Collon; Marcelo Ackermann; Ramses Günther; Abdelhakim Chatbi; Giuseppe Vacanti; Mark Vervest; Alex Yanson; Marco W. Beijersbergen; Marcos Bavdaz; Eric Wille; Jeroen Haneveld; Mark Olde Riekerink; Arenda Koelewijn; Coen van Baren; Peter Müller; Michael Krumrey; Vadim Burwitz; Giorgia Sironi; Mauro Ghigo

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Qualification of silicon pore optics
Author(s): Eric Wille; Marcos Bavdaz; Sebastiaan Fransen; Maximilien Collon; Marcelo Ackermann; Ramses Guenther; Abdelhakim Chatbi; Giuseppe Vacanti; Mark Vervest; Coen van Baren; Jeroen Haneveld; Mark Olde Riekerink; Arenda Koelewijn; Dirk Kampf; Karl-Heinz Zuknik; Arnd Reutlinger

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The wide field imager instrument for Athena
Author(s): Norbert Meidinger; Kirpal Nandra; Markus Plattner; Matteo Porro; Arne Rau; Andrea E. Santangelo; Chris Tenzer; Jörn Wilms

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The "Hot and Energetic Universe" has been selected as the science theme for ESA's L2 mission, scheduled for launch in 2028. The proposed Athena X-ray observatory provides the necessary capabilities to achieve the ambitious goals of the science theme. The X-ray mirrors are based on silicon pore optics technology and will have a 12 m focal length. Two complementary camera systems are foreseen which can be moved in and out of the focal plane by an interchange mechanism. These instruments are the actively shielded micro-calorimeter spectrometer X-IFU and the Wide Field Imager (WFI). The WFI will combine an unprecedented survey power through its large field of view of 40 arcmin with a high countrate capability (approx. 1 Crab). It permits a state-of-the-art energy resolution in the energy band of 0.1 keV to 15 keV during the entire mission lifetime (e.g. FWHM ≤ 150 eV at 6 keV). This performance is accomplished by a set of DEPFET active pixel sensor matrices with a pixel size matching the angular resolution of 5 arcsec (on-axis) of the mirror system. Each DEPFET pixel is a combined detector-amplifier structure with a MOSFET integrated onto a fully depleted 450 micron thick silicon bulk. The signal electrons generated by an X-ray photon are collected in a so-called internal gate below the transistor channel. The resulting change of the conductivity of the transistor channel is proportional to the number of electrons and thus a measure for the photon energy. DEPFETs have already been developed for the "Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer" on-board of ESA’s BepiColombo mission. For Athena we develop enhanced sensors with integrated electronic shutter and an additional analog storage area in each pixel. These features improve the peak-to-background ratio of the spectra and minimize dead time. The sensor will be read out with a new, fast, low-noise multi-channel analog signal processor with integrated sequencer and serial analog output. The architecture of sensor and readout ASIC allows readout in full frame mode and window mode as well by addressing selectively arbitrary sub-areas of the sensor allowing time resolution in the order of 10 μs. The further detector electronics has mainly the following tasks: digitization, pre-processing and telemetry of event data as well as supply and control of the detector system. Although the sensor will already be equipped with an on-chip light blocking filter, a filter wheel is necessary to provide an additional external filter, an on-board calibration source, an open position for outgassing, and a closed position for protection of the sensor. The sensor concept provides high quantum efficiency over the entire energy band and we intend to keep the instrumental background as low as possible by designing a graded Z-shield around the sensor. All these properties make the WFI a very powerful survey instrument, significantly surpassing currently existing observatories and in addition allow high-time resolution of the brightest X-ray sources with low pile-up and high efficiency. This manuscript will summarize the current instrument concept and design, the status of the technology development, and the envisaged baseline performance.

Prospects and limitations of DEPFET active pixel sensors as high speed spectroscopic x-ray imager for the ATHENA wide field imager
Author(s): S. Aschauer; A. Bähr; G. Lutz; P. Majewski; L. Strüder; J. Treis

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The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) for Athena
Author(s): Laurent Ravera; Didier Barret; Jan Willem den Herder; Luigi Piro; Rodolphe Clédassou; Etienne Pointecouteau; Philippe Peille; Francois Pajot; Monique Arnaud; Claude Pigot; Lionel Duband; Christophe Cara; Roland H. den Hartog; Luciano Gottardi; Hiroki Akamatsu; Jan van der Kuur; Henk J. van Weers; Jelle de Plaa; Claudia Macculi; Simone Lotti; Guido Torrioli; Flavio Gatti; Luca Valenziano; Marco Barbera; Xavier Barcons; María Teresa Ceballos; Lourdes Fàbrega; José Miguel Mas-Hesse; Mathew J. Page; Phillip R. Guttridge; Richard Willingale; Stéphane Paltani; Ludovic Genolet; Enrico Bozzo; Gregor Rauw; Etienne Renotte; Jörn Wilms; Christian Schmid

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Development of TES-based detectors array for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on the future x-ray observatory ATHENA
Author(s): L. Gottardi; H. Akamatsu; D. Barret; M. P. Bruijn; R. H. den Hartog; J. -W. den Herder; H. F. C. Hoevers; M. Kiviranta; J. van der Kuur; A. J. van der Linden; B. D. Jackson; M. Jambunathan; M. L. Ridder

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Background simulations for the ATHENA X-IFU instrument: impact on the instrumental design
Author(s): S. Lotti; C. Macculi; D. Cea; T. Mineo; E. Perinati; Lorenzo Natalucci; L. Piro

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Wide-field MAXI: soft x-ray transient monitor on the ISS
Author(s): Nobuyuki Kawai; Hiroshi Tomida; Yoichi Yatsu; Tatehiro Mihara; Shiro Ueno; Masashi Kimura; Makoto Arimoto; Motoko Serino; Takanori Sakamoto; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Takayoshi Kohmura; Hitoshi Negoro; Yoshihiro Ueda; Mikio Morii; Yoko Tsuboi; Ken Ebisawa; Atsumasa Yoshida

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DIOS: the dark baryon exploring mission
Author(s): T. Ohashi; Y. Ishisaki; Y. Ezoe; S. Yamada; S. Yamaguchi; N. Miyazaki; Y. Tawara; K. Mitsuda; N. Y. Yamasaki; Y. Takei; K. Sakai; K. Nagayoshi; R. Yamamoto; A. Chiba; T. Hayashi

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Formation Flight Astronomical Survey Telescope (FFAST) mission in hard x-ray
Author(s): Hiroshi Tsunemi; Hiroshi Nakajima; Naohisa Anabuki; Ryo Nagino; Hideyo Kunieda; Hironori Matsumoto; Masayuki Itoh; Isao Kawano; Toshinori Ikenaga; Shinji Mitani; Toru Yamamoto; Masanobu Ozaki; Koji Mori; Yoshihiro Ueda; Takayoshi Kohmura

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High-z gamma-ray bursts for unraveling the dark ages mission HiZ-GUNDAM
Author(s): Daisuke Yonetoku; Tatehiro Mihara; Tatsuya Sawano; Hirokazu Ikeda; Atsushi Harayama; Shunsuke Takata; Kazuki Yoshida; Hiroki Seta; Asuka Toyanago; Yasuaki Kagawa; Kentaro Kawai; Nobuyuki Kawai; Takanori Sakamoto; Motoko Serino; Shunsuke Kurosawa; Shuichi Gunji; Toru Tanimori; Toshio Murakami; Yoichi Yatsu; Kazutaka Yamaoka; Atsumasa Yoshida; Koji Kawabata; Toshio Matsumoto; Koji Tsumura; Shuji Matsuura; Mai Shirahata; Hirofumi Okita; Kensi Yanagisawa; Michitoshi Yoshida; Kentaro Motohara

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The Large Observatory for x-ray timing
Author(s): M. Feroci; J. W. den Herder; E. Bozzo; D. Barret; S. Brandt; M. Hernanz; M. van der Klis; M. Pohl; A. Santangelo; L. Stella; A. Watts; J. Wilms; S. Zane; M. Ahangarianabhari; C. Albertus; M. Alford; A. Alpar; D. Altamirano; L. Alvarez; L. Amati; C. Amoros; N. Andersson; A. Antonelli; A. Argan; R. Artigue; B. Artigues; J.-L. Atteia; P. Azzarello; P. Bakala; G. Baldazzi; S. Balman; M. Barbera; C. van Baren; S. Bhattacharyya; A. Baykal; T. Belloni; F. Bernardini; G. Bertuccio; S. Bianchi; A. Bianchini; P. Binko; P. Blay; F. Bocchino; P. Bodin; I. Bombaci; J.-M. Bonnet Bidaud; S. Boutloukos; L. Bradley; J. Braga; E. Brown; N. Bucciantini; L. Burderi; M. Burgay; M. Bursa; C. Budtz-Jørgensen; E. Cackett; F. R. Cadoux; P. Caïs; G. A. Caliandro; R. Campana; S. Campana; F. Capitanio; J. Casares; P. Casella; A. J. Castro-Tirado; E. Cavazzuti; P. Cerda-Duran; D. Chakrabarty; F. Château; J. Chenevez; J. Coker; R. Cole; A. Collura; R. Cornelisse; T. Courvoisier; A. Cros; A. Cumming; G. Cusumano; A. D'Ai; V. D'Elia; E. Del Monte; A. de Luca; D. de Martino; J. P. C. Dercksen; M. de Pasquale; A. De Rosa; M. Del Santo; S. Di Cosimo; S. Diebold; T. Di Salvo; I. Donnarumma; A. Drago; M. Durant; D. Emmanoulopoulos; M. H. Erkut; P. Esposito; Y. Evangelista; A. Fabian; M. Falanga; Y. Favre; C. Feldman; V. Ferrari; C. Ferrigno; M. Finger; M. H. Finger; G. W. Fraser; M. Frericks; F. Fuschino; M. Gabler; D. K. Galloway; J. L. Galvez Sanchez; E. Garcia-Berro; B. Gendre; S. Gezari; A. B. Giles; M. Gilfanov; P. Giommi; G. Giovannini; M. Giroletti; E. Gogus; A. Goldwurm; K. Goluchová; D. Götz; C. Gouiffes; M. Grassi; P. Groot; M. Gschwender; L. Gualtieri; C. Guidorzi; L. Guy; D. Haas; P. Haensel; M. Hailey; F. Hansen; D. H. Hartmann; C. A. Haswell; K. Hebeler; A. Heger; W. Hermsen; J. Homan; A. Hornstrup; R. Hudec; J. Huovelin; A. Ingram; J. J. M. In't Zand; G. Israel; K. Iwasawa; L. Izzo; H. M. Jacobs; F. Jetter; T. Johannsen; P. Jonker; J. Josè; P. Kaaret; G. Kanbach; V. Karas; D. Karelin; D. Kataria; L. Keek; T. Kennedy; D. Klochkov; W. Kluzniak; K. Kokkotas; S. Korpela; C. Kouveliotou; I. Kreykenbohm; L. M. Kuiper; I. Kuvvetli; C. Labanti; D. Lai; F. K. Lamb; P. P. Laubert; F. Lebrun; D. Lin; D. Linder; G. Lodato; F. Longo; N. Lund; T. J. Maccarone; D. Macera; S. Maestre; S. Mahmoodifar; D. Maier; P. Malcovati; I. Mandel; V. Mangano; A. Manousakis; M. Marisaldi; A. Markowitz; A. Martindale; G. Matt; I. M. McHardy; A. Melatos; M. Mendez; S. Mereghetti; M. Michalska; S. Migliari; R. Mignani; M. C. Miller; J. M. Miller; T. Mineo; G. Miniutti; S. Morsink; C. Motch; S. Motta; M. Mouchet; G. Mouret; J. Mulačová; F. Muleri; T. Muñoz-Darias; I. Negueruela; J. Neilsen; A. J. Norton; M. Nowak; P. O'Brien; P. E. H. Olsen; M. Orienti; M. Orio; M. Orlandini; P. Orleański; J. P. Osborne; R. Osten; F. Ozel; L. Pacciani; M. Paolillo; A. Papitto; J. M. Paredes; A. Patruno; B. Paul; E. Perinati; A. Pellizzoni; A. V. Penacchioni; M. A. Perez; V. Petracek; C. Pittori; J. Pons; J. Portell; A. Possenti; J. Poutanen; M. Prakash; P. Le Provost; D. Psaltis; D. Rambaud; P. Ramon; G. Ramsay; M. Rapisarda; A. Rachevski; I. Rashevskaya; P. S. Ray; N. Rea; S. Reddy; P. Reig; M. Reina Aranda; R. Remillard; C. Reynolds; L. Rezzolla; M. Ribo; R. de la Rie; A. Riggio; A. Rios; P. Rodríguez-Gil; J. Rodriguez; R. Rohlfs; P. Romano; E. M. R. Rossi; A. Rozanska; A. Rousseau; F. Ryde; L. Sabau-Graziati; G. Sala; R. Salvaterra; A. Sanna; J. Sandberg; S. Scaringi; S. Schanne; J. Schee; C. Schmid; S. Shore; R. Schneider; A. Schwenk; A. D. Schwope; J.-Y. Seyler; A. Shearer; A. Smith; D. M. Smith; P. J. Smith; V. Sochora; P. Soffitta; P. Soleri; A. Spencer; B. Stappers; A. W. Steiner; N. Stergioulas; G. Stratta; T. E. Strohmayer; Z. Stuchlik; S. Suchy; V. Sulemainov; T. Takahashi; F. Tamburini; T. Tauris; C. Tenzer; L. Tolos; F. Tombesi; J. Tomsick; G. Torok; J. M. Torrejon; D. F. Torres; A. Tramacere; A. Trois; R. Turolla; S. Turriziani; P. Uter; P. Uttley; A. Vacchi; P. Varniere; S. Vaughan; S. Vercellone; V. Vrba; D. Walton; S. Watanabe; R. Wawrzaszek; N. Webb; N. Weinberg; H. Wende; P. Wheatley; R. Wijers; R. Wijnands; M. Wille; C. A. Wilson-Hodge; B. Winter; K. Wood; G. Zampa; N. Zampa; L. Zampieri; L. Zdunik; A. Zdziarski; B. Zhang; F. Zwart; M. Ayre; T. Boenke; C. Corral van Damme; Erik Kuulkers; D. Lumb

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The design of the wide field monitor for the LOFT mission
Author(s): S. Brandt; M. Hernanz; L. Alvarez; A. Argan; B. Artigues; P. Azzarello; D. Barret; E. Bozzo; C. Budtz-Jørgensen; R. Campana; A. Cros; E. del Monte; I. Donnarumma; Y. Evangelista; M. Feroci; J. L. Galvez Sanchez; D. Götz; F. Hansen; J. W. den Herder; R. Hudec; J. Huovelin; D. Karelin; S. Korpela; N. Lund; M. Michalska; P. Olsen; P. Orleanski; S. Pedersen; M. Pohl; A. Rachevski; A. Santangelo; S. Schanne; C. Schmid; S. Suchy; C. Tenzer; A. Vacchi; D. Walton; J. Wilms; G. Zampa; N. Zampa; J. in't Zand; S. Zane; A. Zdziarski; F. Zwart

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The large area detector of LOFT: the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing
Author(s): S. Zane; D. Walton; T. Kennedy; M. Feroci; J.-W Den Herder; M. Ahangarianabhari; A. Argan; P. Azzarello; G. Baldazzi; M. Barbera; D. Barret; G. Bertuccio; P. Bodin; E. Bozzo; L. Bradley; F. Cadoux; P Cais; R. Campana; J. Coker; A. Cros; E. Del Monte; A. De Rosa; S. Di Cosimo; I. Donnarumma; Y. Evangelista; Y. Favre; C. Feldman; G. Fraser; F. Fuschino; M. Grassi; M. R. Hailey; R. Hudec; C. Labanti; P. Malcovati; D. Macera; M. Marisaldi; A. Martindale; T. Mineo; F. Muleri; M. Nowak; M. Orlandini; L. Pacciani; E. Perinati; V. Petracek; M. Pohl; A. Rachevski; P. Smith; A. Santangelo; J.-Y. Seyler; C. Schmid; P. Soffitta; S. Suchy; C. Tenzer; P. Uttley; A. Vacchi; G. Zampa; N. Zampa; J. Wilms; B. Winter

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High efficiency CCD detectors at UV wavelengths
Author(s): Erika T. Hamden; April D. Jewell; Samuel Gordon; John Hennessy; Michael E. Hoenk; Shouleh Nikzad; David Schiminovich; D. Christopher Martin

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Performance and validation of a suborbital FUV spatial heterodyne spectro-polarimeter optimized for wide-field observations of interplanetary hydrogen
Author(s): Walter M. Harris; Jason B. Corliss

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Multi object spectrograph of the Fireball balloon experiment
Author(s): R. Grange; G. R. Lemaitre; S. Quiret; B. Milliard; S. Pascal; A. Origné

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SUAVE: a UV telescope for space weather and solar variability studies
Author(s): L. Damé; M. Meftah; A. Irbah; A. Hauchecorne; P. Keckhut; E. Quémerais

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The FIREBall-2 UV sample grating efficiency at 200-208nm
Author(s): S. Quiret; B. Milliard; R. Grange; G. R. Lemaitre; A. Caillat; M. Belhadi; A. Cotel

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Improved ground calibration results from Southwest Research Institute Ultraviolet Radiometric Calibration Facility (UV-RCF)
Author(s): Michael W. Davis; Thomas K. Greathouse; G. Randall Gladstone; Kurt D. Retherford; David C. Slater; S. Alan Stern; Maarten H. Versteeg

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An introduction to the IAAT ultraviolet MCP detector development
Author(s): S. Hermanutz; J. Barnstedt; S. Diebold; H. R. Elsener; C. Kalkuhl; N. Kappelmann; M. Pfeifer; T. Schanz; K. Werner

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New facilities for Al+MgF2 coating for 2-m class mirrors for UV
Author(s): Valery Zhupanov; Oleg Vlasenko; Mikhail Sachkov; Viktor Fedoseev

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The World Space Observatory--Ultraviolet (WSO--UV) project is a Russian-Spanish space mission for spectroscopic and imaging observations in the UV domain (115-320 nm) where some of the most important astrophysical processes can be efficiently studied with unprecedented capability. In the horizon of the next decade, WSO--UV will be the only mission with the large primary mirror fully devoted for UV studies. The observatory includes a 170 cm aperture telescope capable of high-resolution spectroscopy, long slit low-resolution spectroscopy, and deep UV imaging. The telescope T-170M is a Ritchey-Chrétien with a F/10 focal ratio and a corrected field of view of 0.5 degrees. Specific data on the WSO-UV project (telescope, satellite, orbit, launcher, ground segment, etc.) are given in [1-6]. The current status of the WSO-UV focal plane instruments, their status of implementation, and the expected performances are presented in [7]. The science drivers of the WSO-UV mission are described in [8, 9]. The main WSO-UV instruments, spectrographs (WUVS instrument) and imagers (ISSIS instrument) are described in [10-13] and [14-15] correspondingly. The prospects of stellar studies with WSO-UV are presented in papers [16-17]. A paper [18] describes our experience of using the DP-190 glue for adhesive attachment of a large space mirror and its rim. In the instrument compartment, see Figure 1, the optical bench (OB) – used as reference plane for all the onboard instrumentation – is aligned and maintained in the correct position with respect to the primary mirror (PM) using a three rods system. An imaging instrument ISSIS is mounted on the upper basis of the optical bench, in the space available between the PM and the OB itself, while spectrographs (WUVS instrument) are mounted to the OB bottom basis. One of the primary tasks in creating telescope’s PM is to apply coating with required reflective and protective properties. Aluminum is a well known reflecting coating for wavelength above 120 nm [19] with reflectivity more than 90% at wavelength longer than 200 nm, but the spectral range from 700 to 900 nm, where it’s lowest value of reflectivity is 86% at 850 nm. That makes aluminum one of the best coating materials in the creating a mirror for operations in vacuum ultraviolet. However, the aluminum membrane is prone to oxidization, so applying the protecting coating is essential. Magnesium fluoride is one of the few materials transparent in the UV range [20]. In this contribution, capacities of new facilities in LUCH company that are created for World Space Observatory – Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) project are described in Section 2, the process of applying Al + MgF₂ coating workout is presented in Section 3, results of applying Al+MgF₂ coating for WSO-UV primary mirror are presented in Section 4 and a brief summary are provided in the concluding Section 5.

Narrowband filters for the FUV range
Author(s): Luis Rodríguez-De Marcos; Juan I. Larruquert; José A. Méndez; José A. Aznárez; Manuela Vidal-Dasilva; Liping Fu

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Space observations in the far ultraviolet (FUV, 100-200 nm) are aimed at providing essential information for astrophysics, solar physics, and atmosphere physics. There are key spectral lines and bands in the FUV for the above disciplines. Despite various developments in the recent decades, yet many observations are not possible due to technical limitations, of which one of the most important is the lack of efficient optical coatings. Hence for solar physics applications there are needs of narrowband coatings for key wavelengths such as H Lyman β (102.6 nm) and OVI lines (103.2 and 103.8 nm). For atmosphere physics, narrowband coatings are required for observations at spectral lines such as OI (135.6 nm) and at the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band (LBH, 127-240 nm). In solar corona observations, often the intensities of the target lines are weak, and this radiation may be masked by more intense lines, such as H Lyman α at 121.6 nm. Until now, no narrowband multilayers peaked in the ~100-105 nm range have been reported, which is due to the absorption of materials at these wavelengths. When efficient narrowband coatings are not possible, an option is the use of coatings with high reflectance at the target wavelength and simultaneously low reflectance at the undesired wavelength, such as Lyman α. We have developed novel multilayers to address this target, with combinations of these materials: Al, LiF, SiC and C. We developed multilayers based on the following three systems, Al/LiF/SiC, Al/LiF/SiC/C, and Al/LiF/SiC/LiF. Their reflectance was measured both when fresh and after some storage in a desiccator. Al/LiF/SiC and Al/LiF/SiC/C systems displayed a high Lyman β/Lyman α reflectance ratio when fresh, although they resulted in an undesired reflectance increase at Lyman α for the aged samples and the reflectance ratio Lyman β/Lyman α became small; this behavior turned these systems useless for the present application. The most promising multilayers were the ones based on the Al/LiF/SiC/LiF system, which resulted in a good performance and a limited evolution after months of storage in a desiccator. Five samples based on the Al/LiF/SiC/LiF system were prepared and measured in the 50-190 nm spectral range. These samples resulted in high reflective and narrowband coatings peaked at 100-101 nm, with a promising reflectance ratio Lyman β/Lyman α when fresh. Some efficiency degradation was observed after the sample storage in a desiccators; however all samples retained a narrowband performance over time and a high Lyman β/Lyman α ratio. The same system can be designed to be an efficient narrowband coating peaked in the target spectral range and not constrained to a specific performance at Lyman α. Hence an 8-month aged sample exhibited a reflectance as high as 61% at the peak wavelength of 100.9 nm, at near-normal incidence, the highest experimental reflectance reported in this range for a narrowband coating. We have also prepared narrowband transmission coatings tuned either at 135.6 nm or at the center of the LBH band (~160 nm), with the requirement to strongly reject the out-of-band, particularly the visible and close ranges. The coatings were based on (Al/MgF₂)_n multilayers, with n ranging between 3 and 4. The coatings were successful at rejecting the visible, with a transmittance lower than 10^-5. The transmittance at the peak was 0.087 for coatings stored in a desiccators for 13 days.

Characterisation of low power readout electronics for a UV microchannel plate detector with cross-strip readout
Author(s): M. Pfeifer; J. Barnstedt; S. Diebold; S. Hermanutz; C. Kalkuhl; N. Kappelmann; T. Schanz; B. Schütze; K. Werner

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Performance characterization of UV science cameras developed for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP)
Author(s): P. Champey; K. Kobayashi; A. Winebarger; J. Cirtain; D. Hyde; B. Robertson; D. Beabout; B. Beabout; M. Stewart

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UVMag: Space UV and visible spectropolarimetry
Author(s): Martin Pertenais; Coralie Neiner; Laurent P. Parès; Pascal Petit; Frans Snik; Gerard van Harten

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The soft x-ray photon-counting telescope for solar observations
Author(s): Taro Sakao; Noriyuki Narukage; Yoshinori Suematsu; Kyoko Watanabe; Masumi Shimojo; Shinsuke Imada; Shin-nosuke Ishikawa; Edward E. DeLuca

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Current progress of optical alignment procedure of CLASP's Lyman-alpha polarimetry instrument
Author(s): G. Giono; R. Ishikawa; Y. Katsukawa; T. Bando; R. Kano; Y. Suematsu; N. Narukage; Taro Sakao; K. Kobayashi; F. Auchère

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Hardware and software architecture on board solar orbiter/METIS: an update
Author(s): M. Pancrazzi; M. Focardi; G. Nicolini; V. Andretta; M. Uslenghi; E. Magli; M. Ricci; A. Bemporad; D. Spadaro; F. Landini; M. Romoli; E. Antonucci; S. Fineschi; G. Naletto; P. Nicolosi; L. Teriaca

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METIS, is one of the ten instruments selected to be part of the Solar Orbiter payload; it is a coronagraph that will investigate the inner part of the heliosphere performing imaging in the visible band and in the hydrogen Lyman α line @ 121.6 nm. METIS has recently undergone throughout a revision to simplify the instrument design. This paper will provide an overview of the updated hardware and software design of the coronagraph as presented at the Instrument Delta-Preliminary Design Review occurred in April 2014. The current configuration foresees two detectors, an Intensified APS for the UV channel and an APS for the visible light equipped with a Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder (LCVR) plate to perform broadband visible polarimetry. Each detector has a proximity electronics generating the control and readout signals for the sensor but the operations of the two devices are in charge of a centralized unit, the METIS Processing and Power Unit (MPPU). The MPPU operates the remaining electrical subsystems supplying them with power and providing on board storage and processing capabilities. Its design foresees the redundancy of the most critical parts, thus mitigating the effects of possible failures of the electronics subsystems. The central monitoring unit is also in charge of providing the communication with the S/C, handling the telemetry and telecommand exchange with the platform. The data acquired by the detectors shall undergo through a preliminary on-board processing to maximize the scientific return and to provide the necessary information to validate the results on ground. Operations as images summing, compression and cosmic rays monitoring and removal will be fundamental not only to mitigate the effects of the main sources of noise on the acquired data, but also to maximize the data volume to be transferred to the spacecraft in order to fully exploit the limited bandwidth telemetry downlink. Finally, being Solar Orbiter a deep-space mission, some METIS procedures have been designed to provide the instrument an efficient autonomous behavior in case of an immediate reaction is required as for the arising of transient events or the occurrence of safety hazards conditions.

Complex of instrumentation KORTES for the EUV and x-ray imaging and spectroscopy of the solar corona
Author(s): Sergey V. Shestov; Artem S. Ulyanov; Eugene A. Vishnyakov; Andrei A. Pertsov; Sergey V. Kuzin

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Solar simulation test up to 13 solar constants for the thermal balance of the Solar Orbiter EUI instrument
Author(s): Laurence Rossi; Maria Zhukova; Lionel Jacques; Jean-Philippe Halain; Marie-Laure Hellin; Pierre Jamotton; Etienne Renotte; Pierre Rochus; Sylvie Liebecq; Alexandra Mazzoli

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The dual-gain 10 μm back-thinned 3kx3k CMOS-APS detector of the solar orbiter extreme UV imager
Author(s): J.-P. Halain; A. Debaize; J.-M. Gillis; L. Jacques; T. De Ridder; L. Hermans; M. Koch; G. Meynants; G. Schippers

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Cross strip anode readouts for large format, photon counting microchannel plate detectors: developing flight qualified prototypes of the detector and electronics
Author(s): John Vallerga; Rick Raffanti; Michael Cooney; Harley Cumming; Gary Varner; Andrej Seljak

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The new event analysis of the Fermi large area telescope
Author(s): Carmelo Sgrò

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Calibration of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager in preparation for the 2014 balloon campaign
Author(s): C. A. Kierans; S. E. Boggs; A. Lowell; J. Tomsick; A. Zoglauer; M. Amman; J.-L. Chiu; H.-K. Chang; C.-H. Lin; P. Jean; P. von Ballmoos; C.-Y. Yang; J.-R. Shang; C.-H. Tseng; Y. Chou; Y.-H. Chang

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Monte Carlo simulations of gamma-ray space telescopes: a BoGEMMS multi-purpose application
Author(s): Valentina Fioretti; Andrea Bulgarelli; Marco Tavani; Martino Marisaldi; Sabina Sabatini; Giuseppe Malaguti; Massimo Trifoglio; Fulvio Gianotti

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The x-ray timing and polarization satellite - 1, 2, 3: uncovering the mysteries of black holes and extreme physics in the universe
Author(s): Yongwei Dong

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Current status of the GRAPE balloon program
Author(s): Mark L. McConnell; Peter F. Bloser; Camden Ertley; Jason Legere; James M. Ryan; Sambid K. Wasti

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Fifteen years of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer
Author(s): Catherine E. Grant; Mark W. Bautz; Peter G. Ford; P. P. Plucinsky

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Research on ICCD for space observation of cosmic ray and dark matter
Author(s): Bingliang Hu; Xiaohui Gao; Le Wang; Haifeng Pi; Cuiyu Wei

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Monte Carlo simulation of HERD calorimeter
Author(s): M. Xu; G. M. Chen; Y. W. Dong; J. G. Lu; Z. Quan; L. Wang; Z. G. Wang; B. B. Wu; S. N. Zhang

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The transition-edge EBIT microcalorimeter spectrometer
Author(s): Gabriele L. Betancourt-Martinez; Joseph Adams; Simon Bandler; Peter Beiersdorfer; Gregory Brown; James Chervenak; Randy Doriese; Megan Eckart; Kent Irwin; Richard Kelley; Caroline Kilbourne; Maurice Leutenegger; F. Scott Porter; Carl Reintsema; Stephen Smith; Joel Ullom

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Progress towards a double flux-locked-loop scheme for SQuID readout of TES detector arrays
Author(s): Guido Torrioli; Simona Lombardo; Claudio Macculi; Luigi Piro; Luca Colasanti

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Performance improvement of x-ray CCDs by applying a magnetic field
Author(s): Keisuke Kondo; Tadayasu Dotani; Masanobu Ozaki; Masachika Iwai

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The use of Schottky CdTe detectors for high-energy astronomy: application to the detection plane of the instrument SVOM/ECLAIRs
Author(s): G. Nasser; O. Godet; J.-L. Atteia; C. Amoros; D. Barret; S. Bordon; B. Cordier; O. Gevin; F. Gonzalez; B. Houret; K. Lacombe; P. Mandrou; W. Marty; K. Mercier; R. Pons; D. Rambaud; P. Ramon; G. Rouaix; V. Waegebaert

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SuperHERO: the next generation hard x-ray HEROES telescope
Author(s): Jessica A. Gaskin; Steven D. Christe; Ronald F. Elsner; Kiranmayee Kilaru; Brian D. Ramsey; Paul Seller; Albert Y. Shih; David W. Stuchlik; Douglas A. Swartz; Allyn F. Tennant; Bruce Weddendorf; Matthew D. Wilson; Colleen A. Wilson-Hodge

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Preserving accurate figures in coating and bonding mirrors for lightweight x-ray telescopes
Author(s): Kai-Wing Chan; William W. Zhang; Marton V. Sharpe; James R. Mazzarella; Ryan S. McClelland; Michael P. Biskach; Timo T. Saha; Linette D. Kolos; Mao-Ling Hong

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Process of constructing a lightweight x-ray flight mirror assembly
Author(s): Ryan S. McClelland; Michael P. Biskach; Kai-Wing Chan; Rebecca A Espina; Bruce R. Hohl; Timo T. Saha; William W. Zhang

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Lightweight and high resolution optics are needed for future space-based x-ray telescopes to achieve advances in highenergy astrophysics. NASA’s Next Generation X-ray Optics (NGXO) project has made significant progress towards building such optics, both in terms of maturing the technology for spaceflight readiness and improving the angular resolution. Technology Development Modules (TDMs) holding three pairs of mirrors have been regularly and repeatedly integrated and tested both for optical performance and mechanical strength. X-ray test results have been improved over the past year from 10.3 arc-seconds Half Power Diameter (HPD) to 8.3 arc-seconds HPD. A vibration test has been completed to NASA standard verification levels showing the optics can survive launch and pointing towards improvements in strengthening the modules through redundant bonds. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) study was completed which shows the mirror distortion caused by bonding is insensitive to the number of bonds. Next generation TDMs, which will demonstrate a lightweight structure and mount additional pairs of mirrors, have been designed and fabricated. The light weight of the module structure is achieved through the use of E-60 Beryllium Oxide metal matrix composite material. As the angular resolution of the development modules has improved, gravity distortion during horizontal x-ray testing has become a limiting factor. To address this issue, a facility capable of testing in the vertical orientation has been designed and planned. Test boring at the construction site suggest standard caisson construction methods can be utilized to install a subterranean vertical vacuum pipe. This facility will also allow for the testing of kinematically mounted mirror segments, which greatly reduces the effect of bonding displacements. A development platform demonstrating the feasibility of kinematically mounting mirror segments has been designed, fabricated, and successfully tested.

Analysis of the optical surface properties in the indirect glass slumping
Author(s): Anita Winter; Elias Breunig; Peter Friedrich; Laura Proserpio

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Mounting for fabrication, metrology, and assembly of full-shell grazing-incidence optics
Author(s): Jacqueline M. Roche; Mikhail V. Gubarev; W. Scott Smith; Stephen L. O’Dell; Jeffery J Kolodziejczak; Martin C. Weisskopf; Brian D. Ramsey; Ronald F. Elsner

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Fabrication of single crystal silicon mirror substrates for X-ray astronomical missions
Author(s): Raul E. Riveros; Vincent T. Bly; Linette D. Kolos; Kevin P. McKeon; James R. Mazzarella; Timothy M. Miller; William W. Zhang

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Alignment and integration of thin, lightweight x-ray optics into modules
Author(s): Michael P. Biskach; Kai-Wing Chan; James R. Mazzarella; Ryan S. McClelland; Timo T. Saha; Mark J. Schofield; William W. Zhang

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Studies of lightweight x-ray telescope with CFRP
Author(s): Satoshi Sugita; Hisamitsu Awaki; Daichi Kurihara; Kenya Yoshioka; Yuuki Tomita; Keiji Ogi; Hideyo Kunieda; Hironori Matsumoto; Takuya Miyazawa; Toshihiro Iwase; Tatsuya Hibino; Takashi Ishikawa; Takayoshi Hamada; Naoki Ishida; Hiromichi Akiyama; Kazuaki Kishimoto; Shin Utsunomiya; Tomohiro Kamiya

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Industrialization scenario for X-ray telescopes production based on glass slumping
Author(s): Laura Proserpio; Thorsten Döhring; Elias Breunig; Peter Friedrich; Anita Winter

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Characterising x-ray mirror deformations with a phase measuring deflectometry system
Author(s): E. Breunig; P. Friedrich; L. Proserpio; A. Winter

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Upgrade of the thirty-meter x-ray pencil beam line at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Author(s): Takayuki Hayashi; Toshiki Sato; Kazuki Tomikawa; Naomichi Kikuchi; Takuro Sato; Ryo Iizuka; Yoshitomo Maeda; Manabu Ishida

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Alignment and integration of slumped glass x-ray mirrors at MPE
Author(s): E. Breunig; P. Friedrich; L. Proserpio; A. Winter

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A high resolution large x-ray mission based on thin glass: optomechanical design
Author(s): Stefano Basso; Enrico Buratti; Marta Civitani; Giovanni Pareschi; Bianca Salmaso; Daniele Spiga; Mauro Ghigo; Gianpiero Tagliaferri; Josef Eder

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Shaping of thin glass X-ray telescope mirrors using air bearing slumping and ion implantation
Author(s): Brandon Chalifoux; Ralf K. Heilmann; Mark L. Schattenburg

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Ray tracing simulations for the wide-field x-ray telescope of the Einstein Probe mission based on Geant4 and XRTG4
Author(s): Donghua Zhao; Chen Zhang; Weimin Yuan; Richard Willingale; Zhixing Ling; Hua Feng; Hong Li; Jianfeng Ji; Wenxin Wang; Shuangnan Zhang

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Manufacture of aspherical molding dies for x-ray telescopes after ASTRO-H
Author(s): Yoshiharu Namba; Anthony Beaucamp; Hironori Matsumoto; Keisuke Tamura; Yuzuru Tawara; Hideyo Kunieda; Tadayuki Takahashi

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Enhanced far-ultraviolet reflectance of MgF2 and LiF over-coated Al mirrors
Author(s): Manuel A. Quijada; Javier Del Hoyo; Stephen Rice

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Recent developments and results of new ultraviolet reflective mirror coatings
Author(s): Christopher Samuel Moore; John Hennessy; April D. Jewell; Shouleh Nikzad; Kevin France

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Data acquisition system and ground calibration of polarized gamma-ray observer (PoGOLite)
Author(s): Hiromitsu Takahashi; Maxime Chauvin; Yasushi Fukazawa; Miranda Jackson; Tuneyoshi Kamae; Takafumi Kawano; Mozsi Kiss; Merlin Kole; Victor Mikhalev; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Elena Moretti; Mark Pearce; Stefan Rydström

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The development of gamma-ray burst polarimeter for a small satellite
Author(s): Shuichi Gunji; Takeshi Nakamori; Mitsumasa Sakano; Jun Katagiri; Tatsuya Kishikawa; Koki Kato; Sayaka Kimura; Mika Takakura; Yuma Oikawa; Tatsuya Ueda

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Simulation studies on performance parameters of a TPC polarimeter
Author(s): Rakhee K.; Koushal V.; Radhakrishna V.; Baishali G.; Vinodkumar A. M.

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Monte-Carlo estimation of the inflight performance of the GEMS satellite x-ray polarimeter
Author(s): Takao Kitaguchi; Toru Tamagawa; Asami Hayato; Teruaki Enoto; Akifumi Yoshikawa; Kenta Kaneko; Yoko Takeuchi; Kevin Black; Joanne Hill; Keith Jahoda; John Krizmanic; Steven Sturner; Scott Griffiths; Philip Kaaret; Hannah Marlowe

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Performance verification of the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small explorer (GEMS) x-ray polarimeter
Author(s): Teruaki Enoto; J. Kevin Black; Takao Kitaguchi; Asami Hayato; Joanne E. Hill; Keith Jahoda; Toru Tamagawa; Kenta Kaneko; Yoko Takeuchi; Akifumi Yoshikawa; Hannah Marlowe; Scott Griffiths; Philip E. Kaaret; David Kenward; Syed Khalid

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Properties of the flight model gas electron multiplier for the GEMS mission
Author(s): Yoko Takeuchi; Takao Kitaguchi; Asami Hayato; Toru Tamagawa; Wataru Iwakiri; Fumi Asami; Akifumi Yoshikawa; Kenta Kaneko; Teruaki Enoto; Kevin Black; Joanne E. Hill; Keith Jahoda

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Development of CCDs for REXIS on OSIRIS-REx
Author(s): Kevin K. Ryu; Barry E. Burke; Harry R. Clark; Renee D. Lambert; Peter O'Brien; Vyshnavi Suntharalingam; Christopher M. Ward; Keith Warner; Mark W. Bautz; Richard P. Binzel; Steven E. Kissel; Rebecca A. Masterson

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Effect of a magnetic field generated by permanent magnets on the GPD polarization sensitivity
Author(s): Paolo Soffitta; Enrico Costa; Alfredo Morbidini; Fabio Muleri; Alda Rubini; Daniele Spiga; Ronaldo Bellazzini; Alessandro Brez; Luca de Ruvo; Massimo Minuti; Michele Pinchera; Gloria Spandre

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The new SCOS-based EGSE of the EPIC flight-spare on-ground cameras
Author(s): Nicola La Palombara; Anthony Abbey; Fernando Insinga; Pedro Calderon-Riano; Mauro Casale; Marcus Kirsch; James Martin; Ramon Munoz; Maddalena Palazzo; Mauro Poletti; Steve Sembay; Juan Carlos Vallejo; Gabriele Villa

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The XMM-Newton observatory, launched by the European Space Agency in 1999, is still one of the scientific community’s most important high-energy astrophysics missions. After almost 15 years in orbit its instruments continue to operate smoothly with a performance close to the immediate post-launch status. The competition for the observing time remains very high with ESA reporting a very healthy over-subscription factor. Due to the efficient use of spacecraft consumables XMM-Newton could potentially be operated into the next decade. However, since the mission was originally planned for 10 years, progressive ageing and/or failures of the on-board instrumentation can be expected. Dealing with them could require substantial changes of the on-board operating software, and of the command and telemetry database, which could potentially have unforeseen consequences for the on-board equipment. In order to avoid this risk, it is essential to test these changes on ground, before their upload. To this aim, two flight-spare cameras of the EPIC experiment (one MOS and one PN) are available on-ground. Originally they were operated through an Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) system which was developed over 15 years ago to support the test campaigns up to the launch. The EGSE used a specialized command language running on now obsolete workstations. ESA and the EPIC Consortium, therefore, decided to replace it with new equipment in order to fully reproduce on-ground the on-board configuration and to operate the cameras with SCOS2000, the same Mission Control System used by ESA to control the spacecraft. This was a demanding task, since it required both the recovery of the detailed knowledge of the original EGSE and the adjustment of SCOS for this special use. Recently this work has been completed by replacing the EGSE of one of the two cameras, which is now ready to be used by ESA. Here we describe the scope and purpose of this activity, the problems faced during its execution, the adopted solutions, and the tests performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new EGSE.

The eROSITA x-ray baffle
Author(s): Peter Friedrich; C. Rohé; R. Gaida; J. Hartwig; F. Soller; H. Bräuninger; B. Budau; W. Burkert; V. Burwitz; J. Eder; G. Hartner; B. Menz; P. Predehl

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A setup for soft proton scattering on x-ray mirrors
Author(s): Sebastian Diebold; Josef Jochum; Eckhard Kendziorra; Emanuele Perinati; Andrea Santangelo; Chris Tenzer

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ART-XC/SRG: results of thermo-vacuum tests
Author(s): N. Semena; M. Pavlinsky; M. Buntov; D. Serbinov; E. Gurova; V. Tambov; I. Roiz; M. Garin; V. Lazarchuk; A. Zaytcev; V. Martunov; A. Shabarchin; A. Sokolov

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The calibration of flight mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument on board the SRG mission
Author(s): M. Gubarev; B. Ramsey; J. J. Kolodziejczak; S. L. O'Dell; R. Elsner; V. Zavlin; D. Swartz; M. Pavlinsky; A. Tkachenko; I. Lapshov

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Analysis of proton propagation through the eROSITA telescope
Author(s): E. Perinati; T. Mineo; M. Freyberg; S. Diebold; A. Santangelo; C. Tenzer

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Bumber filter against micrometeoroids for eROSITA
Author(s): E. Perinati; S. Bugiel; M. Freyberg; Sebastian Diebold; A. Santangelo; R. Srama; C. Tenzer; A. von Kienlin

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The x-ray telescope eROSITA: qualification of the thermal control system
Author(s): Maria Fürmetz; Josef Eder; Elmar Pfeffermann; Peter Predehl

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eROSITA is the core instrument on the Spektrum-Röntgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, scheduled for launch in 2016. The main tasks of the thermal control system are heating of the mirror modules, cooling of the camera electronics, cooling of the CCD detectors and temperature control of the telescope structure in general. Special attention is paid to the camera cooling, since it is the most critical one. The complex assembly with the sevenfold symmetry of the eROSITA telescope requires an innovative design. Large distances and a very low operating temperature (–90°C to –100°C) place high demands on the cooling chain. In total, three different types of low-temperature ethane heat pipes are used to transport the heat from the cameras to two radiators outside the telescope structure. Extreme environmental temperature gradients with the Sun on the one side and the cold space on the other present a real challenge not only to the camera cooling systems, but to the overall thermal control. A thermal model of the complete telescope was used to predict the thermal behavior of the telescope and its subsystems. Through various tests, this model could be improved step by step. The most complex test was the space simulation test of the eROSITA qualification model in January 2013 at the IABG facilities in Ottobrunn, Germany. About 50 heaters, a liquid-nitrogen-cooled chamber and a Sun simulator provided realistic mission conditions. Approximately 200 temperature sensors monitored the relevant temperatures during the test. The results were predominantly within the predicted intervals and therefore not only verified the complete concept but also enabled a further refining of the thermal model. This, in turn, allows for reliable predictions of the thermal behavior during the mission. Some deviations required minor changes in the final design which were implemented and re-qualified in a separate test of the thermal control system flight model in March 2014 in the PANTER test facility of MPE. The results of both tests will be presented in this contribution.

Arcus: an ISS-attached high-resolution x-ray grating spectrometer
Author(s): R. K. Smith; M. Ackermann; R. Allured; M. W. Bautz; J. Bregman; J. Bookbinder; D. Burrows; L. Brenneman; N. Brickhouse; P. Cheimets; A. Carrier; M. Freeman; J. Kaastra; R. McEntaffer; J. Miller; A. Ptak; R. Petre; G. Vacanti

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The camera of the Microchannel X-ray telescope onboard the SVOM mission
Author(s): Aline Meuris; Frédéric Pinsard; Eric Doumayrou; Thierry Tourrette; Diego Götz; Mickael Carty; Modeste Donati; Luc Dumaye; Alain Goetschy; François Nico; Norbert Meidinger; Danilo Miessner; Karine Mercier

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ECLAIRs detection plane: current state of development
Author(s): K. Lacombe; R. Pons; C. Amoros; J.-L. Atteia; D. Barret; M. Billot; S. Bordon; B. Cordier; O. Gevin; O. Godet; F. Gonzalez; B. Houret; K. Mercier; P. Mandrou; W. Marty; G. Nasser; D. Rambaud; P. Ramon; G. Rouaix; V. Waegebaert

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ECLAIRs, a 2-D coded-mask imaging camera on-board the Sino-French SVOM space mission, will detect and locate Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in near real time in the 4-150 keV energy band. The design of ECLAIRs has been mainly driven by the objective of achieving a low-energy threshold of 4 keV, unprecedented for this type of instrument. The detection plane is an assembly of 6400 Schottky CdTe semiconductor detectors of size 4x4x1 mm³ organized on elementary hybrid matrices of 4x8 detectors. The detectors will be polarized from -300V to -500V and operated at -20°C to reduce both the leakage current and the polarization effect induced by the Schottky contact. The remarkable low-energy threshold homogeneity required for the detection plane has been achieved thanks to: i) an extensive characterization and selection of the detectors, ii) the development of a specific low-noise 32-channel ASIC, iii) the realization of an innovative hybrid module composed of a thick film ceramic (holding 32 CdTe detectors with their high voltage grid), associated to an HTCC ceramic (housing the ASIC chip within an hermetic enclosure). In this paper, we start describing a complete hybrid matrix, and then the manufacturing of a first set of 50 matrices (representing 1600 detectors, i.e. a quarter of ECLAIRs detector’s array). We show how this manufacturing allowed to validate the different technologies used for this hybridization, as well as the industrialization processes. During this phase, we systematically measured the leakage current on Detector Ceramics after an outgassing, and the Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) for each of the 32 channels on ASIC Ceramics, in order to optimize the coupling of the two ceramics. Finally, we performed on each hybrid module, spectral measurements at -20°C in our vacuum chamber, using several calibrated radioactive sources (²⁴¹Am and ⁵⁵Fe), to check the performance homogeneity of the 50 modules. The results demonstrated that the 32-detector hybrid matrices presented homogeneous spectral properties and that a lowenergy threshold of 4 keV for each detector could be reached. In conclusion, our hybrid module has obtained the performance required at the SVOM mission level and successfully withstood the space environment tests (TRL 6/7). This development phase has given us the opportunity to build a detector’s array prototype (Engineering Model) equipped with 50 hybrid modules. Thanks to this prototype we are in the process of validating a complete detection chain (from the detectors to the backend electronics) and checking the performance. In addition it enables us to consolidate the instrument’s mechanical and thermal design, and to write preliminary versions of the quality procedures required for integration, functional tests and calibration steps. At the end of this prototype development and testing, we will be ready to start the detailed design of the detection plane Flight Model.

Engineering design of the Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) instrument: an OSIRIS-REx student collaboration
Author(s): Michael Jones; Mark Chodas; Matthew J. Smith; Rebecca A. Masterson

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The x-ray facilities in-building for calibrations of HXMT
Author(s): S. Zhang; Y. P. Chen; Y. N. Xie; X. Q. Li; X. V. Zhou; J. J. Wu; G. F. Wang; Q. F. Han; F. Jia; F. J. Lu

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The Canadian Astro-H Metrology System
Author(s): Luigi Gallo; Casey Lambert; Alex Koujelev; Stephane Gagnon; Martin Guibert

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Recent progress in the ground calibration of the ASTRO-H Hard X-ray telescope (HXT-2)
Author(s): Hideyuki Mori; Yuji Kuroda; Takuya Miyazawa; Hisamitsu Awaki; Yasunori Babazaki; Akihiro Furuzawa; Tatsuya Hibino; Ryo Iizuka; Kazunori Ishibashi; Toshihiro Iwase; Hideyo Kunieda; Daichi Kurihara; Hironori Matsumoto; Yusuke Miyata; Shigetaka Saji; Satoshi Sugita; Yoshio Suzuki; Sasagu Tachibana; Keisuke Tamura; Yuzuru Tawara; Kentaro Uesugi

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Ground-based x-ray calibration of the Astro-H soft x-ray telescopes
Author(s): Ryo Iizuka; Takayuki Hayashi; Yoshitomo Maeda; Manabu Ishida; Kazuki Tomikawa; Toshiki Sato; Naomichi Kikuchi; Takashi Okajima; Yang Soong; Peter J. Serlemitsos; Hideyuki Mori; Takanori Izumiya; Sari Minami

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The X-ray astronomy satellite Astro-H, planned to be launched in 2015, will have several instruments for covering a wide energy band from a few hundreds eV to 600 keV. There are four X-ray telescopes, and two of them are soft X-ray telescopes (SXTs) covering up to about 15 keV. One is for an X-ray micro-calorimeter detector (SXS) and the other is for an X-ray CCD detector (SXI). The design of the SXTs is a conical approximation of the Wolter Type-I optics, which is also adopted for the telescopes on the previous mission Suzaku launched in 2005. It consists 203 thin-foil reflectors coated with gold monolayer (2000 Å) on the aluminum substrate (101.6 mm length) with the thickness of 0.15, 0.23 and 0.31 mm. These are nested confocally within the radius of 58 to 225 mm. The focal length of SXTs is 5.6 m. The weight is as light as ~ 43 kg per telescope.

We present the current status of the calibration activity of two SXTs (SXT-1 and SXT-2). The developments of two SXTs were completed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). First X-ray measurements with a diverging beam at the GSFC 100m beamline found an angular resolution at 8.0 keV to be 1.1 and 1.0 arcmin (HPD) for SXT-1 and SXT-2, respectively. The full characterization of the X-ray performance has been now continuously calibrated with the 30m X-ray beamline facility at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) in Japan. We adopted a raster scan method with a narrow X-ray pencil beam with the divergence of ~ 15". X-ray characterization of the two SXTs has been measured from May and December 2013, respectively.

In the case of SXT-1, the on-axis effective area was approximately 580, 445, 370, 270, 185 and 90 cm² at energies of 1.5, 4.5, 8.0, 9.4, 11.1 and 12.9 keV respectively. The effective area of SXT-2 is 2% larger than that of SXT-1 irrespective to X-ray energy. The on-axis angular resolution of SXT-1 was evaluated as 1.3 - 1.5 arcmin (HPD) in the 1.5 - 13 keV band. The resolution was slightly got worse at higher energies by ~ 0:3 arcmin. Otherwise, the resolution of SXT-2 is 1.2 arcmin, almost irrespective to X-ray energy. The field of view (FOV) was ~ 16 arcmin at 1.5 keV, decreasing with increasing X-ray energy, and became ~ 8 arcmin at 13 keV. The FOV is defined here as the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the vignetting curve.

The X-ray performance of SXT-1 and SXT-2 meets the system requirements. Because all the parameters of the SXT-2 is slightly better that of SXT-1, we adopted the SXT-2 telescope for the SXS detector of the Astro-H primary instrument with the narrow FOV.

Revealing a detailed performance of the soft x-ray telescopes of the ASTRO-H mission
Author(s): T. Sato; R. Iizuka; T. Hayashi; Y. Maeda; M. Ishida; K. Tomikawa; N. Kikuchi; T. Okajima; Y. Soong; P. Serlemitsos; H. Mori; T. Izumiya; S. Minami

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Performance verification and system integration tests of the pulse shape processor for the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H
Author(s): Sawako Takeda; Makoto S. Tashiro; Yoshitaka Ishisaki; Masahiro Tsujimoto; Hiromi Seta; Yuya Shimoda; Sunao Yamaguchi; Sho Uehara; Yukikatsu Terada; Ryuichi Fujimoto; Kazuhisa Mitsuda

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Soft x-ray transmission of contamination blocking filter for SXI onboard ASTRO-H
Author(s): Takayoshi Kohmura; Kenta Kaneko; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Kiyoshi Hayashida; Ryo Nagino; Shota Inoue; Daiki Uchida; Shuhei Katada; Tadayasu Dotani; Masanobu Ozaki; Hiroshi Tomida; Masashi Kimura; Takeshi Go Tsuru; Shoma Ikeda; Kazunari Yabe; Kento Miyakawa; Masato Andoh; Shintaro Kuwano; Yuta Sato; Kohki Tamasawa; Shoma Tanno; Yuma Yoshino

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Thermal design of the hard x-ray imager and the soft gamma-ray detector onboard ASTRO-H
Author(s): Hirofumi Noda; Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Kazuo Makishima; Naoko Iwata; Hiroyuki Ogawa; Masayuki Ohta; Goro Sato; Madoka Kawaharada; Shin Watanabe; Motohide Kokubun; Tadayuki Takahashi; Masanori Ohno; Yasushi Fukazawa; Hiroyasu Tajima; Hideki Uchiyama; Shuji Ito; Keita Fukuzawa

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Development and calibration of fine collimators for the ASTRO-H Soft Gamma-ray Detector
Author(s): T. Mizuno; D. Kimura; Y. Fukazawa; S. Furui; K. Goto; T. Hayashi; K. S. Kawabata; T. Kawano; Y. Kitamura; H. Shirakawa; T. Tanabe; K. Makishima; K. Nakajima; K. Nakazawa; T. Fukuyama; Y. Ichinohe; K. Ishimura; M. Ohta; T. Sato; T. Takahashi; Y. Uchida; S. Watanabe; K. Ishibashi; K. Sakanobe; H. Matsumoto; T. Miyazawa; H. Mori; M. Sakai; H. Tajima

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Development and verification of signal processing system of BGO active shield onboard Astro-H
Author(s): Masanori Ohno; Shin'ya Tokuda; Takafumi Kawano; Shunya Furui; Ikumi Edahiro; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Kunihiro Goto; Yasushi Fukazawa; Hiroaki Murakami; Syogo Kobayashi; Soki Sakurai; Makoto Sasano; Shunsuke Torii; Toshio Nakano; Ko Ono; Katsuma Miyake; Terukazu Nishida; Kazuhiro Nakazawa; Kazuo Makishima; Kouichi Hagino; Takayuki Yuasa; Hirokazu Odaka; Rie Sato; Shin Watanabe; Motohide Kokubun; Tadayuki Takahashi; Goro Sato; Jun Kataoka; Tatsuhiko Saito; Kazutaka Yamaoka; Hiroyasu Tajima; Yoichi Yatsu; Takeshi Nakamori; Hideki Uchiyama; Daisuke Yonetoku

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An expanded x-ray beam facility (BEaTriX) to test the modular elements of the ATHENA optics
Author(s): D. Spiga; C. Pelliciari; E. Bonnini; E. Buffagni; C. Ferrari; G. Pareschi; G. Tagliaferri

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Studying ATHENA optics with divergent and collimated x-ray beams
Author(s): Benedikt Menz; Heinrich Bräuninger; Vadim Burwitz; Gisela Hartner; Peter Predehl

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Optical design for ATHENA X-ray telescope based on slumped mirror segments
Author(s): Laura Proserpio; Elias Breunig; Peter Friedrich; Anita Winter

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VERITAS 2.0 a multi-channel readout ASIC suitable for the DEPFET arrays of the WFI for Athena
Author(s): Matteo Porro; Davide Bianchi; Giulio De Vita; Sven Herrmann; Andreas Wassatsch; Alexander Bähr; Bettina Bergbauer; Norbert Meidinger; Sabine Ott; Johannes Treis

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Towards Mo/Au based TES detectors for Athena/X-IFU
Author(s): Lourdes Fàbrega; Agustín Camón; José Luís Costa-Krämer; Carlos Pobes; María Parra-Borderías; Iván Fernández-Martínez; Rosa Jáudenes; Pedro Cereceda; María Teresa Ceballos; Xavier Barcons; Javier Sesé; Jesús Martín-Pintado; Luciano Gottardi; Marcel Bruijn; Madhu Jambunathan; Roland H. den Hartog; Jan van der Kuur; Jan-Willem den Herder; Didier Barret

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Requirements for the detectors and read-out of ATHENA X-IFU
Author(s): R. den Hartog; D. Barret; L. Gottardi; J.-W. den Herder; B. Jackson; P. de Korte; J. van der Kuur; B.-J. van Leeuwen; D. van Loon; A. Nieuwenhuizen; L. Ravera

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TES-detector based focal plane assembly key-technology developments for ATHENA and SAFARI
Author(s): H. J. van Weers; J. W. den Herder; B. D. Jackson; P. P. K. Kooijman; C. Bruineman; K. Ravensberg; M. P. Bruijn; B. Rangarajan; A. J. van der Linden; M. L. Ridder; M. Leeman; B. J. van Leeuwen; A. Gotink; S. Kwast; T. J. van der Velde; J. R. H. Diesveld; C. Werner; R. F. M. M. Hamelinck

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The Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector for ATHENA: the progress towards the final pixel design
Author(s): Claudio Macculi; Luigi Piro; Donatella Cea; Luca Colasanti; Simone Lotti; Lorenzo Natalucci; Flavio Gatti; Daniela Bagliani; Michele Biasotti; Dario Corsini; Giulio Pizzigoni; Guido Torrioli; Marco Barbera; Teresa Mineo; Emanuele Perinati

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“The Hot and Energetic Universe” is the scientific theme approved by the ESA SPC for a Large mission to be flown in the next ESA slot (2028th) timeframe. ATHENA is a space mission proposal tailored on this scientific theme. It will be the first X-ray mission able to perform the so-called “Integral field spectroscopy”, by coupling a high-resolution spectrometer, the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU), to a high performance optics so providing detailed images of its field of view (5’ in diameter) with an angular resolution of 5” and fine energy-spectra (2.5eV@E<7keV). The X-IFU is a kilo-pixel array based on TES (Transition Edge Sensor) microcalorimeters providing high resolution spectroscopy in the 0.2-12 keV range. Some goals is the detection of faint and diffuse sources as Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) or galaxies outskirts. To reach its challenging scientific aims, it is necessary to shield efficiently the X-IFU instrument against background induced by external particles: the goal is 0.005 cts/cm^2/s/keV. This scientific requirement can be met by using an active Cryogenic AntiCoincidence (CryoAC) detector placed very close to X-IFU (~ 1 mm below). This is shown by our GEANT4 simulation of the expected background at L2 orbit. The CryoAC is a TES based detector as the X-IFU sharing with it thermal and mechanical interfaces, so increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the payload. It is a 2x2 array of microcalorimeter detectors made by Silicon absorber (each of about 80 mm^2 and 300 μm thick) and sensed by an Ir TES. This choice shows that it is possible to operate such a detector in the so-called athermal regime which gives a response faster than the X-IFU (< 30 μs), and low energy threshold (above few keV). Our consortium has developed and tested several samples, some of these also featured by the presence of Al-fins to efficiently collect the athermal phonons, and increased x-ray absorber area (up to 1 cm^2). Here the results of deep test related to one of the last sample produced (namely AC-S5), and steps to reach the final detector design will be discussed.

The DRE: the digital readout electronics for ATHENA X-IFU
Author(s): Laurent Ravera; Christophe Cara; María Teresa Ceballos; Xavier Barcons; Didier Barret; Rodolphe Clédassou; Antoine Clénet; Beatriz Cobo; Eric Doumayrou; Roland H. den Hartog; Bert-Joost van Leeuwen; Dennis van Loon; José Miguel Mas-Hesse; Claude Pigot; Etienne Pointecouteau

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Baseline design of the thermal blocking filters for the X-IFU detector on board ATHENA
Author(s): M. Barbera; A. Collura; F. Gatti; U. Lo Cicero; C. Macculi; L. Piro; E. Renotte; S. Sciortino

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ATHENA X-IFU detector cooling chain
Author(s): M. B. C. Branco; I. Charles; J. Butterworth

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Coolers development for the ATHENA X-IFU cryogenic chain
Author(s): L. Duband; I. Charles; J.-M. Duval

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ATHENA end-to-end simulations
Author(s): Jörn Wilms; Thorsten Brand; Didier Barret; Tobias Beuchert; Jan-Willem den Herder; Ingo Kreykenbohm; Simone Lotti; Norbert Meidinger; Kirpal Nandra; Philippe Peille; Luigi Piro; Arne Rau; Christian Schmid; Randall K. Smith; Christoph Tenzer; Michael Wille; Richard Willingale

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Background studies for ATHENA: towards a new assessment phase
Author(s): E. Perinati; A. Santangelo; C. Tenzer

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Development of the hard x-ray monitor onboard WF-MAXI
Author(s): Makoto Arimoto; Yoichi Yatsu; Nobuyuki Kawai; Hirokazu Ikeda; Atsushi Harayama; Shin'ichiro Takeda; Tadayuki Takahashi; Hiroshi Tomida; Shiro Ueno; Masashi Kimura; Tatehiro Mihara; Motoko Serino; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Atsumasa Yoshida; Takanori Sakamoto; Tadayoshi Kohmura; Hitoshi Negoro; Yoshihiro Ueda

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Development of soft x-ray large solid angle camera onboard WF-MAXI
Author(s): Masashi Kimura; Hiroshi Tomida; Shiro Ueno; Nobuyuki Kawai; Yoichi Yatsu; Makoto Arimoto; Tatehiro Mihara; Motoko Serino; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Atsumasa Yoshida; Takanori Sakamoto; Takayoshi Kohmura; Hitoshi Negoro

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Development of the Four-stage X-ray telescope (FXT) for the DIOS mission
Author(s): Yuzuru Tawara; Ikuya Sakurai; Satoshi Sugita; Shunya Takizawa; Yasunori Babazaki; Ren Nakamichi; Ayako Bandai; Yoshitomo Maeda; Takayuki Hayashi

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Optimisation of the design for the LOFT large area detector module
Author(s): D. M. Walton; B. Winter; S. Zane; T. E Kennedy; J. Coker; M. Feroci; J.-W. Den Herder; A. Argan; P. Azzarello; D. Barret; L. J. Bradley; F. Cadoux; A. Cros; Y. Evangelista; Y. Favre; G. W. Fraser; M. R Hailey; T. Hunt; A. Martindale; F. Muleri; L. Pacciani; M. Pohl; P. J. Smith; A. Santangelo; S. Suchy; C. Tenzer; G. Zampa; N. Zampa

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The SIRIUS mixed analog-digital ASIC developed for the LOFT LAD and WFM instruments
Author(s): A. Cros; D. Rambaud; E. Moutaye; L. Ravera; D. Barret; P. Caïs; R. Clédassou; P. Bodin; J. Y. Seyler; A. Bonzo; M. Feroci; C. Labanti; Y. Evangelista; Y. Favre

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Radiation tests of the silicon drift detectors for LOFT
Author(s): E. Del Monte; P. Azzarello; E. Bozzo; S. Bugiel; S. Diebold; Y. Evangelista; E. Kendziorra; F. Muleri; E. Perinati; A. Rachevski; G. Zampa; N. Zampa; M. Feroci; M. Pohl; A. Santangelo; A. Vacchi

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Hyper-velocity impact test and simulation of a double-wall shield concept for the Wide Field Monitor aboard LOFT
Author(s): E. Perinati; M. Rott; A. Santangelo; S. Suchy; C. Tenzer; E. Del Monte; J.-W. den Herder; S. Diebold; M. Feroci; A. Rachevski; A. Vacchi; G. Zampa; N. Zampa

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Baseline design of the filters for the LAD detector on board LOFT
Author(s): M. Barbera; B. Winter; J. Coker; M. Feroci; T. Kennedy; D. Walton; S. Zane

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The digital data processing concepts of the LOFT mission
Author(s): C. Tenzer; A. Argan; A. Cros; Y. Favre; M. Gschwender; F. Jetter; A. Santangelo; S. Schanne; P. Smith; S. Suchy; P. Uter; D. Walton; H. Wende

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Instrumental and scientific simulations of the LOFT wide field monitor
Author(s): Y. Evangelista; I. Donnarumma; R. Campana; C. Schmid; M. Feroci

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The LOFT burst alert system and its burst onboard trigger
Author(s): Stéphane Schanne; Diego Götz; Hervé Le Provost; Frédéric Château; Enrico Bozzo; Søren Brandt

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The LOFT ground segment
Author(s): E. Bozzo; A. Antonelli; A. Argan; D. Barret; Pavel Binko; S. Brandt; E. Cavazzuti; T. Courvoisier; J. W. den Herder; M. Feroci; C. Ferrigno; P. Giommi; D. Götz; L. Guy; M. Hernanz; J. J. M. in't Zand; D. Klochkov; Erik Kuulkers; C. Motch; D. Lumb; A. Papitto; Carlotta Pittori; R. Rohlfs; A. Santangelo; C. Schmid; A. D. Schwope; P. J. Smith; N. A. Webb; J. Wilms; S. Zane

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PROCEEDINGS VOLUME 9144

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