6533b861fe1ef96bd12c5914
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The focal plane assembly for the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit instrument
L. PiroFlavio GattiM. P. BruijnA. ArganLuciano GottardiB. J. Van LeeuwenMikko KivirantaJay ChervenakClaudio MacculiH. Van WeersHiroki AkamatsuDidier BarretCaroline A. KilbourneSamuel SmithMarco BarberaThien Lam-trongSimon R. BandlerR. Den HartogJ. W. Den HerderD. HaasJohannes DercksenJ. Van Der KuurBrian Jacksonsubject
CryostatPhysics::Instrumentation and DetectorsAperture01 natural sciencesfrequency division multiplexingfocal plane assemblySettore FIS/05 - Astronomia E AstrofisicaOpticsSensor array0103 physical sciencesElectronicSQUID amplifierAthenaOptical and Magnetic MaterialsElectrical and Electronic Engineeringta216010306 general physicsta113010302 applied physicsPhysicsX-IFUta114ta213business.industryStray lightApplied Mathematicstransition edge sensorDetectorAstrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for AstrophysicsX-ray microcalorimeterComputer Science Applications1707 Computer Vision and Pattern RecognitionCondensed Matter PhysicsCardinal pointElectromagnetic shieldingcryogenic anti-coincidence detectorX-ray microcalorimeter transition edge sensor cryogenic anti-coincidence detector SQUID amplifier frequency division multiplexing Athena X-IFU focal plane assemblyTransition edge sensorbusinessAthena; cryogenic anti-coincidence detector; focal plane assembly; frequency division multiplexing; SQUID amplifier; transition edge sensor; X-IFU; X-ray microcalorimeter; Electronic Optical and Magnetic Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Computer Science Applications1707 Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition; Applied Mathematics; Electrical and Electronic Engineeringdescription
This paper summarizes a preliminary design concept for the focal plane assembly of the X-ray Integral Field Unit on the Athena spacecraft, an imaging microcalorimeter that will enable high spectral resolution imaging and point-source spectroscopy. The instrument's sensor array will be a ~ 3840-pixel transition edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter array, with a frequency domain multiplexed SQUID readout system allowing this large-format sensor array to be operated within the thermal constraints of the instrument's cryogenic system. A second TES detector will be operated in close proximity to the sensor array to detect cosmic rays and secondary particles passing through the sensor array for off-line coincidence detection to identify and reject events caused by the in-orbit high-energy particle background. The detectors, operating at 55 mK, or less, will be thermally isolated from the instrument cryostat's 2 K stage, while shielding and filtering within the FPA will allow the instrument's sensitive sensor array to be operated in the expected environment during both on-ground testing and in-flight operation, including straylight from the cryostat environment, low-energy photons entering through the X-ray aperture, low-frequency magnetic fields, and high-frequency electric fields.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-19 | SPIE Proceedings |