0000000000041091
AUTHOR
Jeffrey W. Beeman
Microcalorimeter/EBIT measurements of X-ray spectra of highly charged ions
Spectra of highly charged Ar, Kr, Xe and Fe ions, produced in an Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT), have been recorded in a broad X-ray energy band (0.2 keV to 10 keV) with a microcalorimeter detector. The first analysis of the Kr spectra has been completed and most of the spectral lines have been identified as transitions of B- to Al-like Kr. Line intensity ratios of Fe XVII have been measured and compared with theoretical models.
Astrophysics and spectroscopy with microcalorimeters on an electron beam ion trap
The importance of the combination of electron beam ion trap (EBIT) spectroscopy with X-ray microcalorimeters in the field of astrophysics was discussed. X-ray astronomy involves heavily charged ion instruments , especially EBIT, to obtain improved quality atomic data. In this regard, the research program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which uses X-ray spectroscopic methods to study plasma and atomic physics, was also discussed.
X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy with NTD germanium-based microcalorimeters
We report on the performance of our NTD-Ge microcalorimeters. To date, the spectral resolution for x-ray and gamma-ray lines from radioactive sources and laboratory plasmas is 4.8 eV in the entire 1 - 6 keV band and 52 eV at 60 keV. Technical details responsible for this performance are presented as well as an innovative electro-thermal approach for enhancing count-rate capability.
Test of x-ray microcalorimeters with bilayer absorbers
Superconducting absorbers for thermal X-ray microcalorimeters should convert into thermalized phonons and transfer to the thermal sensor most of the energy deposited by single photons, on a time scale as short as a few tens of microseconds. Since deposition of X-ray energy in a superconductor produces quasiparticles by breaking up of Cooper pairs, the thermalization efficiency depends on the time scale on which they survive within the absorber volume, trapping part of the absorbed energy. According to the predicted values of their microscopic parameters, in many standard type-I superconducting metals the quasiparticle life time at very low temperatures results too long to allow for recombin…
Laboratory astrophysics survey of key x-ray diagnostic lines using a microcalorimeter on an electron beam ion trap
Cosmic plasma conditions created in an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) make it possible to simulate the dependencies of key diagnostic X-ray lines on density, temperature, and excitation conditions that exist in astrophysical sources. We used a microcalorimeter for such laboratory astrophysics studies because it has a resolving power ≈1000, quantum efficiency approaching 100%, and a bandwidth that spans the X-ray energies from 0.2 keV to 10 keV. Our microcalorimeter, coupled with an X-ray optic to increase the effective solid angle, provides a significant new capability for laboratory astrophysics measurements. Broadband spectra obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology…
Effects of Nid-levels on the electronic band structure of NixCd1-xO semiconducting alloys
NixCd1-xO has a ∼3 eV band edge offset and bandgap varying from 2.2 to 3.6 eV, which is potentially important for transparent electronic and photovoltaic applications. We present a systematic study of the electronic band structure of NixCd1-xO alloys across the composition range. Ion irradiation of alloy samples leads to a saturation of the electron concentration associated with pinning of the Fermi level (EF) at the Fermi stabilization energy, the common energy reference located at 4.9 eV below the vacuum level. The composition dependence of the pinned EF allows determination of the conduction band minimum (CBM) energy relative to the vacuum level. The unusually strong deviation of the CBM…
Analysis of broadband x-ray spectra of highly charged krypton from a microcalorimeter detector of an electron-beam ion trap
Spectra of highly charged Kr ions, produced in an electron-beam ion trap (EBIT), have been recorded in a broad x-ray energy band (0.3 keV to 4 keV) with a microcalorimeter detector. Most of the spectral lines have been identified as transitions of B- to Al-like Kr. The transition energies have been determined with 0.2% uncertainty. A semi-empirical EBIT plasma model has been created to calculate a synthetic spectrum of highly charged Kr and to determine a charge state distribution of Kr ions inside the EBIT.
B-MINE, the balloon-borne microcalorimeter nuclear line explorer
B-MINE is a concept for a balloon mission designed to probe the deepest regions of a supernova explosion by detecting Ti-44 emission at 68 keV with spatial and spectral resolutions that are sufficient to determine the extent and velocity distribution of the Ti-44 emitting region. The payload introduces the concept of focusing optics and microcalorimeter spectroscopy to nuclear line emission astrophysics. B-MINE has a thin, plastic foil telescope multilayered to maximize the reflectivity in a 20 keV band centered at 68 keV and a microcalorimeter array optimized for the same energy band. This combination provides a reduced background, an energy resolution of 50 eV and a 3sigma sensitivity in …
A fully planar approach to the construction of X-Ray microcalorimeters with doped Germanium sensors
We have investigated a fully planar technology for the development of arrays of X-ray microcalorimeters with doped germanium thermal sensor. We describe the proposed approach and show promising results obtained with the deep etching of germanium, the most critical step of the whole process.
The constellation-X focal plane microcalorimeter array: An NTD-germanium solution
The hallmarks of Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) germanium cryogenic thermistors include high reliability, reproducibility, and long term stability of bulk carrier transport properties. Using micro-machined NTD Ge thermistors with integral “flying” leads, we can now fabricate two-dimensional arrays that are built up from a series of stacked linear arrays. We believe that this modular approach of building, assembling, and perhaps replacing individual modules of detectors is essential to the successful fabrication and testing of large multi-element spectrometers. Details of construction are presented.
Emission-Line Intensity Ratios in F[CLC]e[/CLC] [CSC]xvii[/CSC] Observed with a Microcalorimeter on an Electron Beam Ion Trap
We report new observations of emission line intensity ratios of Fe XVII under controlled experimental conditions, using the National Institute of Standards and Technology electron beam ion trap (EBIT) with a microcalorimeter detector. We compare our observations with collisional-radiative models using atomic data computed in distorted wave and R-matrix approximations, which follow the transfer of the polarization of level populations through radiative cascades. Our results for the intensity ratio of the 2p6 1S0-2p53d 1P1 15.014 A line to the 2p6 1S0-2p53d 3D1 15.265 A line are 2.94 ± 0.18 and 2.50 ± 0.13 at beam energies of 900 and 1250 eV, respectively. These results are not consistent wit…
Laboratory astrophysics and microanalysis with NTD-germanium-based X-ray microcalorimeters
With the ability to create cosmic plasma conditions in the laboratory it is possible to investigate the dependencies of key diagnostic X-ray lines on density, temperature, and excitation conditions that exist in astrophysical sources with X-ray optics and a high-resolution X-ray microcalorimeter. The same instrumentation can be coupled to scanning electron microscopes or X-ray fluorescence probes to analyze the elemental and chemical composition of electronic, biological, geological and particulate materials. We describe how our microcalorimeter and X-ray optics provide significantly improved capabilities for laboratory astrophysics and microanalysis.
Modeling the energy thermalization of X-ray photons in a microcalorimeter with superconducting absorber
We present a modeling of the response of a microcalorimeter to the absorption of X-ray photons, based on the main microscopical processes responsible for the energy thermalization. In particular, we have modeled a microcalorimeter with superconducting tin absorber (350 micron x 350 micron x 7 micron) and neutron transmutation doped (NTD) germanium thermistor (75 micron x 50 micron x 150 micron). Such a detector, operated at 60 mK, is expected to achieve a spectral resolution as good as 1 eV FWHM in the soft X-ray energy range, based on the known sources of thermal and electronic noise. Nevertheless, the best spectral resolution measured in laboratory experimental tests is of about 5 eV FWHM…
Evidence of Single State Dominance in the Two-Neutrino Double- β Decay of Se82 with CUPID-0
We report on the measurement of the two-neutrino double-β decay of ^{82}Se performed for the first time with cryogenic calorimeters, in the framework of the CUPID-0 experiment. With an exposure of 9.95 kg yr of Zn^{82}Se, we determine the two-neutrino double-β decay half-life of ^{82}Se with an unprecedented precision level, T_{1/2}^{2ν}=[8.60±0.03(stat) _{-0.13}^{+0.19}(syst)]×10^{19} yr. The very high signal-to-background ratio, along with the detailed reconstruction of the background sources allowed us to identify the single state dominance as the underlying mechanism of such a process, demonstrating that the higher state dominance hypothesis is disfavored at the level of 5.5σ.