Direct sunlight facility for testing and research in HCPV

A facility for testing different components for HCPV application has been developed in the framework of "Fotovoltaico ad Alta Efficienza" (FAE) project funded by the Sicilian Regional Authority (PO FESR Sicilia 2007/2013 4.1.1.1). The testing facility is equipped with an heliostat providing a wide solar beam inside the lab, an optical bench for mounting and aligning the HCPV components, electronic equipments to characterize the I-V curves of multijunction cells operated up to 2000 suns, a system to circulate a fluid in the heat sink at controlled temperature and flow-rate, a data logging system with sensors to measure temperatures in several locations and fluid pressures at the inlet and ou…

Thermal modelling of the ATHENA X-IFU filters

Copyright 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited. The X-IFU instrument of the ATHENA mission requires a set of thermal filters to reduce the photon shot noise onto its cryogenic detector and to protect it from molecular contamination. A set of five filters, operating at different nominal temperatures corresponding to the cryostat shield temperatures, is currently baselined. The knowledge of the actual filter temperature profi…

Synchrotron x-ray transmission measurements and modeling of filters investigated for Athena

International audience; Advanced Telescope for High-Energy Astrophysics is a large-class astrophysics space mission selected by the European Space Agency to study the theme "Hot and Energetic Universe." The mission essentially consists of a large effective area x-ray telescope and two detectors: the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) and the Wide Field Imager (WFI). Both instruments require filters to shield from out-of-band radiation while providing high transparency to x-rays. The mission is presently in phase B; thus, to consolidate the preliminary design, investigated filter materials need to be properly characterized by experimental test campaigns. We report results from high-resolution…

Status of the EPIC thin and medium filters on-board XMM-Newton after more than 10 years of operation II: analysis of in-flight data

After more than ten years of operation of the EPIC camera on board the X-ray observatory XMM-Newton we have reviewed the status of its thin and medium filters by performing both analysis of data collected in-flight and laboratory measurements on on-ground back-up filters. We have investigated the status of the EPIC thin and medium filters by performing an analysis of the optical loading in the PN offset maps to gauge variations in the optical and UV transmission of the filters. We both investigated repeated observations of single optically bright targets and performed a statistical analysis of the extent of loading versus visual magnitude at different epochs. We report the results of these …

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

Copyright 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited. The Wide Field Imager (WFI) is one of the two instruments of the ATHENA astrophysics space mission approved by ESA as the second large mission in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Programme. The WFI, based on a large array of depleted field effect transistors (DEPFET), will provide imaging in the 0.2-15 keV band over a 40'x40' field of view, simultaneously with spectrally an…

Filters design and characterization for LAD instrument onboard eXTP

Copyright 2022 Society of Photo‑Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this publication for a fee or for commercial purposes, and modification of the contents of the publication are prohibited. The LAD (Large Area Detector) instrument, onboard the Sino-European mission eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry), will perform single-photon, high-resolution timing and energy measurements, in the energy range 2–30 keV, with a large collecting area. Its silicon drift detectors need shielding from NIR/Vis/UV light by astrophysical sources and the bright Ea…

Deformation analysis of ATHENA test filters made of plastic thin films supported by a mesh under differential static pressure

Within ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Program, ATHENA was selected to be a Large-class high energy astrophysics space mission. The observatory will be equipped with two interchangeable focal plane detectors named X-Ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) and Wide Field Imager (WFI). In order to optimally exploit the detector sensitivity, X-ray transparent filters are required. Such filters need to be extremely thin to maximize the X-ray transparency, that is, no more than a few tens of nm, still they must be able to sustain the severe stresses experienced during launch. Partially representative test filters were made with a thin polypropylene film, coated with Ti, and supported by a thin highl…

Electrical-optical characterization of multijunction solar cells under 2000X concentration

In the framework of the FAE "Fotovoltaico ad Alta Efficienza" ("High Efficiency Photovoltaic") Research Project (PO FESR Sicilia 2007/2013 4.1.1.1), we have performed electrical and optical characterizations of commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells (1 cm2) mounted on a prototype HCPV module, installed in Palermo (Italy). This system uses a reflective optics based on rectangular off-axis parabolic mirror with aperture 45×45 cm2 leading to a geometrical concentration ratio of 2025. In this study, we report the I-V curve measured under incident power of about 700 W/m2 resulting in an electrical power at maximum point (PMP) of 41.4 W. We also investigated the optical properties…

The Large Area Detector onboard the eXTP mission

The Large Area Detector (LAD) is the high-throughput, spectral-timing instrument onboard the eXTP mission, a flagship mission of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China National Space Administration, with a large European participation coordinated by Italy and Spain. The eXTP mission is currently performing its phase B study, with a target launch at the end-2027. The eXTP scientific payload includes four instruments (SFA, PFA, LAD and WFM) offering unprecedented simultaneous wide-band X-ray timing and polarimetry sensitivity. The LAD instrument is based on the design originally proposed for the LOFT mission. It envisages a deployed 3.2 m2 effective area in the 2-30 keV energy range, a…

Planar Array Technology for the Fabrication of Germanium X-Ray Microcalorimeters

Several technologies are presently competing for measuring the temperature increase in cryogenic micro-calorimeters used as high resolution energy-dispersive X-ray detectors. Doped germanium, whose resistivity depends on temperature, is a promising material for this purpose, because of its comparatively low specific heat and the possibility of making wafers with high doping uniformity by neutron transmutation. Presently, Ge-based microcalorimeters are still micro-machined and manually assembled. Here we present a planar approach to the fabrication of 2-D arrays of microcalorimeters and show the preliminary technological results.

Preliminary Mechanical Characterization of Thermal Filters for the X-IFU Instrument on Athena

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is one of the two instruments of the Athena astrophysics space mission approved by ESA in the Cosmic Vision Science Program. The X-IFU consists of a large array of TES microcalorimeters that will operate at ~ 50 mK inside a sophisticated cryostat. A set of thin filters, highly transparent to X-rays, will be mounted on the cryostat thermal shields in order to attenuate the IR radiative load, to attenuate RF electromagnetic interferences, and to protect the detector from contamination. In this paper, we present the current thermal filters design, describe the filter samples developed/procured so far, and present preliminary results from the ongoing charac…

GrailQuest and HERMES: hunting for gravitational wave electromagnetic counterparts and probing space-time quantum foam

GrailQuest (Gamma-ray Astronomy International Laboratory for Quantum Exploration of Space-Time) is an ambitious astrophysical mission concept that uses a fleet of small satellites whose main objective is to search for a dispersion law for light propagation in vacuo. Within Quantum Gravity theories, different models for space-time quantization predict relative discrepancies of the speed of photons w.r.t. the speed of light that depend on the ratio of the photon energy to the Planck energy. This ratio is as small as 10-23 for photons in the γ- ray band (100 keV). Therefore, to detect this effect, light must propagate over enormous distances and the experiment must have extraordinary sensitivi…

The HERMES-Technologic and Scientific Pathfinder

HERMES-TP/SP (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites Technologic and Scientific Pathfinder) is a constellation of six 3U nano-satellites hosting simple but innovative X-ray detectors, characterized by a large energy band and excellent temporal resolution, and thus optimized for the monitoring of Cosmic High Energy transients such as Gamma Ray Bursts and the electromagnetic counterparts of Gravitational Wave Events, and for the determination of their positions. The projects are funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research and by the Italian Space Agency, and by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No. 821896. HERMES-TP/S…

Efficiency of concentration photovoltaic cells governed by luminescence processes

The development of multi-junctions III-V semiconductors solar cells, that combine high conversion efficiency (over 40%) and capability of working under high illumination intensity (up to 1000 suns), has stimulated a rapid growth of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology. The performance of these cells is based on the matching between the semiconductors band gap and the solar spectrum so as to optimize the current balancing between the subcells. This requirement is also important in connection with the CPV modules using lenses, mirrors, optical coupling compounds that introduce a wavelength dependent response to the sunlight. Therefore, care must be exercised in designing optimum cells …

Carbon nanotubes thin filters for x-ray detectors in space

In this paper, we present the first results from an investigation performed on nanometric thin pellicles based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) of potential interest for manufacturing large area optical blocking filters to protect soft X-ray detectors in astrophysics space missions. In order to evaluate the effective capability of such materials to block UV/VIS/IR radiation, while being highly transparent in the soft X-rays and strong enough to withstand the severe launch stresses, we have performed a suite of characterization measurements. These include: UV/VIS/IR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy on bare and Al coated small self-…

Structural modelling and mechanical tests supporting the design of the ATHENA X-IFU thermal filters and WFI optical blocking filter

Copyright 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited. ATHENA is a Large high energy astrophysics space mission selected by ESA in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Program. It will be equipped with two interchangeable focal plane detectors: the X-Ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) and the Wide Field Imager (WFI). Both detectors require x-ray transparent filters to fully exploit their sensitivity. In order to maximize the X-ray tra…

The thin and medium filters of the EPIC camera on-board XMM-Newton: measured performance after more than 15 years of operation

After more than 15 years of operation of the EPIC camera on board the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory, we have reviewed the status of its Thin and Medium filters. We have selected a set of Thin and Medium back-up filters among those still available in the EPIC consortium and have started a program to investigate their status by different laboratory measurements including: UV/VIS transmission, Raman scattering, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Furthermore, we have investigated the status of the EPIC flight filters by performing an analysis of the optical loading in the PN offset maps to gauge variations in the optical and UV transmission. We both investigated repea…

Timing techniques applied to distributed modular high-energy astronomy: the H.E.R.M.E.S. project

The HERMES-TP/SP (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites -- Technologic and Scientific Pathfinder) is an in-orbit demonstration of the so-called distributed astronomy concept. Conceived as a mini-constellation of six 3U nano-satellites hosting a new miniaturized detector, HERMES-TP/SP aims at the detection and accurate localisation of bright high-energy transients such as Gamma-Ray Bursts. The large energy band, the excellent temporal resolution and the wide field of view that characterize the detectors of the constellation represent the key features for the next generation high-energy all-sky monitor with good localisation capabilities that will play a pivotal role in the future …

Optical thermal filters for eXTP: manufacturing and characterization

In order to ensure the effective detection of X-ray astronomical detectors by blocking ultraviolet, visible and infrared light, adding optical thermal filter in front of the load is an effective method. According to the scientific requirements of eXTP, optical thermal filters with aluminized polyimide (PI) film structure had been designed and tested in this paper, the results of mechanical tests including burst pressure, vibration and acoustic tests, also the transparent properties of optics in UV, Vis and IR lights are presented. The mechanical test results show that the filters for LAD and SFA can't pass the acoustic tests, causing the thickness of PI should be increased or a nickel mesh …

The Space Weather X-Ray spectrometer for the Helianthus sub-L1 mission with solar photonic propulsion

Copyright 2022 Society of Photo‑Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this publication for a fee or for commercial purposes, and modification of the contents of the publication are prohibited. Helianthus is a phase A study of a space weather station with solar photonic propulsion. The scientific payload will be made of: an X-ray spectrometer to detect solar flares; SailCor, a coronagraph with a wide field of view; a plasma analyzer; a magnetometer. The maximum allowed mass for the entire scientific payload shall not exceed 5 kg. The two imaging devices…

Resistive switching of anodic TiO2-based Memristors

In recent years, memristors have attracted great attention owing to their simple fabrication process, high scalability, good compatibility with the CMOS technology, high switching speed, low power consumption and low cost for next-generation non-volatile memory technology [1]. The basic cell structure of a memristor is an insulator sandwiched between two metal electrodes. Among the materials being studied for memristors fabrication, binary metal oxides, such as TiO2, are most favourable because of their simple constituents, compatible with CMOS processes, and resistive to thermal/chemical damages. Anodizing is a an electrochemical low cost process carried out at room temperature to grow oxi…

ATHENA X-IFU thermal filters development status toward the end of the instrument phase-A

Copyright 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited. The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is one of the two instruments of the Athena astrophysics space mission approved by ESA in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Programme. The X-IFU consists of a large array of transition edge sensor micro-calorimeters that will operate at 100 mK inside a sophisticated cryostat. A set of thin filters, highly transparent to X-rays, will be m…

The scientific payload on-board the HERMES-TP and HERMES-SP CubeSat missions

HERMES (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites) Technological and Scientific pathfinder is a space borne mission based on a LEO constellation of nano-satellites. The 3U CubeSat buses host new miniaturized detectors to probe the temporal emission of bright high-energy transients such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Fast transient localization, in a field of view of several steradians and with arcmin-level accuracy, is gained by comparing time delays among the same event detection epochs occurred on at least 3 nano-satellites. With a launch date in 2022, HERMES transient monitoring represents a keystone capability to complement the next generation of gravitational wave experiments. In t…

Filters for X-Ray Detectors on Space Missions

Thin filters and gas-tight windows are used in space to protect sensitive X-ray detectors from out-of-band electromagnetic radiation, low-energy particles, and molecular contamination. Though very thin and made of light materials, filters are not fully transparent to X-rays. For this reason, they ultimately define the detector quantum efficiency at low energies. In this chapter, we initially provide a brief overview of filter materials and specific designs adopted on space experiments with main focus on detectors operating at the focal plane of grazing incidence X-ray telescopes. We then provide a series of inputs driving the design and development of filters for high-energy astrophysics sp…

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

The ATHENA mission provides the demanded capabilities to address the ESA science theme "Hot and Energetic Universe". Two complementary instruments are foreseen: the X-IFU (X-ray Integral Field Unit) and WFI (Wide Field Imager). Both the instruments require filters to avoid that the IR radiation heats the X-IFU cryogenic detector and to protect the WFI detector from UV photons. Previous experience on XMM filters recommends to employ bilayer membrane consisting of aluminum deposited on polyimide. In this work, we use the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to quantify the native aluminum oxide thickness that affects the spectral properties of the filter. The estimation of the oxide thickne…

A Temperature-Dependent X-Ray Absorption Characterization of Test Filters for the ATHENA Mission X-IFU Instrument

In order to work properly, the X-ray Integral Field Unit of the ATHENA mission requires a set of thermal filters that block the infrared radiation, preventing it to reach the detector. Each filter will be mounted and thermally anchored onto a shield of the multistage cryostat and will be kept at the specific temperature of the stage. On the other hand, the filters partially absorb X-rays, and their transmittance has to be carefully characterized. The effect of temperature on the absorption edges of the elements that make up the filters has not been investigated yet. Here, we report the results of a preliminary run on the optical transmission data around the edges of C, N, and O at different…

Towards an AMTEC-like device based on non-alkali metal for efficient, safe and reliable direct conversion of thermal to electric power

Alkali Metal ThermoElectric Converters directly convert heat into electric energy and have promising applicability in the field of sustainable and renewable energy. The high theoretical efficiency, close to Carnot's cycle, the lack of moving parts, and the interesting operating temperature range drive the search for new materials able to ensure safe and reliable operation at competitive costs.The present work focuses on the design of a non-alkali metal based cell and on the fabrication of a testing device to validate the design work. The selection of a new operating fluid for the cell improves durability, reliability and safety of the device. Finally, we discuss possible applications to alr…

UV-Visible down conversion based on nanosized silica promising for CPV applications

Temperature effects on the performances of the ATHENA X-IFU thermal filters

The X-Ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) detector on-board ATHENA is an array of TES micro-calorimeters that will operate at ~50 mK. In the current investigated design, five thermal filters (TF) will be mounted on the cryostat shields to attenuate IR radiative load and avoid energy resolution degradation due to photon shot noise. Each filter consists of a thin polyimide film (~50 nm thick) coated with aluminum (~30 nm thick). Since the TF operate at different temperatures in the range 0.05-300 K, it is relevant to study how temperature affects their mechanical/optical performances (e.g. near edge absorption fine structures of the atomic elements in the filter material). Such results are crucia…

Radio frequency shielding of thin aluminized plastic filters investigated for the ATHENA X-IFU detector

Copyright 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited. The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is one of the two detectors of the ATHENA astrophysics space mission approved by ESA in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Science Programme. The X-IFU consists of a large array of transition edge sensors (TES) micro-calorimeters covering a field of view of 5' diameter, sensitive in the energy range 0.2-12 keV, and providing a spectral resolution…

Electrical connections and driving electronics for piezo-actuated x-ray thin glass optics

Use of thin glass modular optics is a technology currently under study to build light, low cost, large area X-ray telescopes for high energy astrophysics space missions. The angular resolution of such telescopes is limited by local deviations from the ideal shape of the mirrors. One possible strategy to improve it consists in actively correcting the mirror profile by gluing thin ceramic piezo-electric actuators on the back of the glasses. A large number of actuators, however, requires several electrical connections to drive them with the different needed voltages. We have developed a process for depositing conductive paths directly on the back of non-planar thin foil mirrors by means of a p…

RIVELATORI PER RADIAZIONE X IN TECNOLOGIA PLANARE

Status of the EPIC thin and medium filters on-board XMM-Newton after more than 10 years of operation I: laboratory measurements on back-up filters

After more than ten years of operation of the EPIC camera on board the X-ray observatory XMM-Newton, we have reviewed the status of its Thin and Medium filters by performing both laboratory measurements on back-up filters, and analysis of data collected in-flight. We have selected a set of Thin and Medium back-up filters among those still available in the EPIC consortium, and have started a program to investigate their status by different laboratory measurements including: UV/VIS transmission, X-ray transmission, RAMAN IR spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. We report the results of the measurements conducted up to now, and point out some lessons lear…

Combined heat and power generation with a HCPV system at 2000 suns

In the framework of the FAE “Fotovoltaico ad Alta Efficienza” (“High Efficiency Photovoltaic”) Research Project funded by the Sicilian Region under the program PO FESR Sicilia 2007/2013 4.1.1.1, we have developed an innovative solar CHP system for the combined production of heat and power at the high concentration level of 2000 suns [1]. This work shows the experimental results obtained on FAE-HCPV modules and analyses the behaviour of the system. The solar radiation is concentrated on commercial InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells designed for intensive work. The primary optics is a rectangular off-axis parabolic mirror (with a size of 46x46 = 2116 cm2 in a projection normal to the…

Metal thin-film temperature sensor embedded in heat-sink for CPV cells characterization

The efficiency of a photovoltaic cell is dependent on its temperature, for this reason an accurate measurement of this parameter is important to fully characterize the device and to optimize its performance. For CPV applications a significant heat flux is needed to remove excess heat from the cell towards a heat sink, making it difficult to derive the cell temperature. In fact, measurements performed directly between the cell and the heat-sink, by use of commercial bulk sensors, would produce a significant disturbance in the heat flow; on the other hand, a measurement performed out of the cell / heat sink axis would be subject to large uncertainties, due to the high radial temperature gradi…

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

The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer, studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space X-ray Observatory, a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, selected in November 2013 by the Survey Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors (TES), it aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over an hexagonal field of view of 5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an overall X-IFU redesign (i…

The Large Area Detector onboard the eXTP mission

The eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry) mission is a major project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and China National Space Administration (CNSA) currently performing an extended phase A study and proposed for a launch by 2025 in a low-earth orbit. The eXTP scientific payload envisages a suite of instruments (Spectroscopy Focusing Array, Polarimetry Focusing Array, Large Area Detector and Wide Field Monitor) offering unprecedented simultaneous wide-band X-ray spectral, timing and polarimetry sensitivity. A large European consortium is contributing to the eXTP study and it is expected to provide key hardware elements, including a Large Area Detector (LAD). The LAD instrumen…