Search results for "Telescope"
showing 10 items of 499 documents
Thin plastic shell x-ray optics: an update
2003
We present new results from a program to develop large area X-ray telescopes that are made from thin plastic shells. We use multi-shell cylindrical lenses in a point-to-point configuration to form full aperture images of the small focal spot in a an X-ray tube on a microchannel plate detector. The image data are analyzed to yield radial profiles and encircled energy curves. The derived parameters can be extrapolated to the case of a telescope that is a conical approximation to Wolter 1 optics. The plastic shells can be coated with suitable mono- or multilayers that allow for a wideband coverage of X-ray energies. Our current program is focused on the development of a large area, hard X-ray …
Simbol-X Mirror Module Thermal Shields: I-Design and X-Ray Transmission
2009
The Simbol‐X mission is designed to fly in formation flight configuration. As a consequence, the telescope has both ends open to space, and thermal shielding at telescope entrance and exit is required to maintain temperature uniformity throughout the mirrors. Both mesh and meshless solutions are presently under study for the shields. We discuss the design and the X‐ray transmission.
Design and implementation of electronics and data acquisition system for Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory
2013
The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) Pathfinder for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) consists of two telescopes. The UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) handles the detection and localization of GRBs, and the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) conducts the measurement of the UV/optical afterglow. UBAT is equipped with an X-ray detector, analog and digital signal readout electronics that detects X-rays from GRBs and determines the location. SMT is equipped with a stepping motor and the associated electronics to rotate the slewing mirror targeting the GRBs identified by UBAT. First the slewing mirror points to a GRB, then SMT obtains the optical image of the GRB using the intensified CCD an…
An Astronomical Observatory in the Classroom
2005
We describe a project developed at the University of Granada in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia aimed at using a remote telescope for live astronomical observations from the classroom. Available instrumentation, software and activities are presented.
Background Rejection of Charged Particles in the Simbol-X Telescope: Preliminary Study of Protons Scattering
2009
X-ray telescopes equipped with focusing optics in high eccentric orbit, as e.g. Newton-XMM and Chandra, showed a degradation of the detector performance and an important increase of the noise due to soft protons with energy between a few tens of keV and a few MeV, that are focused on the detector through the mirror module. It should be noted that the focusing of the protons by Wolter optics was an unexpected phenomenon. In Simbol-X a magnetic diverter will be implemented to deflect protons, in order to reduce the flux of charged particles impinging upon the focal plane. Obviously the design of the diverter should take into consideration the protons distribution at the exit of the mirror mod…
Designing an x-ray baffle for stray-light reduction at the focal plane of the Wide Field Imager on board EDGE
2008
We exploited a ray-tracing Montecarlo code to investigate the effects of stray-light on the performances of the Wide Field Imager (FoV = 1.5 deg) on board the EDGE satellite. We found non negligible stray-light contamination up to ~ 8 deg off-axis angles. We discuss the benefits of a baffle in order to reduce this contamination, that would strongly affect the telescope sensitivity, and present two possible baffle designs based on results of simulations.
Calibration of the Solar-B x-ray optics
2005
The Solar-B X-ray telescope (XRT) is a grazing-incidence modified Wolter I X-ray telescope, of 35 cm inner diameter and 2.7 m focal length. XRT, designed for full sun imaging over the wavelength 6-60 Angstroms, will be the highest resolution solar X-Ray telescope ever flown. Images will be recorded by a 2048 X 2048 back-illuminated CCD with 13.5 μm pixels (1 arc-sec/pixel ) with full sun field of view. XRT will have a wide temperature sensitivity in order to observe and discriminate both the high (5-10 MK) and low temperature (1-5 MK) phenomena in the coronal plasma. This paper presents preliminary results of the XRT mirror calibration performed at the X-ray Calibration Facility, NASA-MSFC,…
The filter wheel and filters development for the X-IFU instruments onboard Athena
2016
Athena is the large mission selected by ESA in 2013 to investigate the science theme “Hot and Energetic Universe” and presently scheduled for launch in 2028. One of the two instruments located at the focus of the 12 m-long Athena telescope is the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU). This is an array of TES microcalorimeters that will be operated at temperatures of 50 mK in order to perform high resolution spectroscopy with an energy resolution down to 2.5 eV at energies < 7 keV. In order to cope with the large dynamical range of X-ray fluxes spanned by the celestial objects Athena will be observing, the X-IFU will be equipped with a filter wheel. This will allow the user to fine tune the i…
Radio Observations of the Hubble Deep Field South Region IV: Optical Properties of the Faint Radio Population
2008
The Australia Telescope Hubble Deep Field-South (ATHDFS) survey of the Hubble Deep Field South reaches sensitivities of ~10 miceoJyJy at 1.4, 2.5, 5.2 and 8.7 GHz, making the ATHDFS one of the deepest surveys ever performed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Here we present the optical identifications of the ATHDFS radio sources using data from the literature. We find that ~66% of the radio sources have optical counterparts to I = 23.5 mag. Deep HST imaging of the area identifies a further 12% of radio sources. We present new spectroscopic observations for 98 of the radio sources, and supplement these spectroscopic redshifts with photometric ones calculated from 5-band optical imag…
Circumstellar Disks in the Outer Galaxy: the Star-Forming Region NGC 1893
2008
It is still debated whether star formation process depends on environment. In particular it is yet unclear whether star formation in the outer Galaxy, where the environmental conditions are, theoretically, less conducive, occurs in the same way as in the inner Galaxy. We investigate the population of NGC1893, a young cluster ~3-4 Myr in the outer part of the Galaxy (galactic radius >11 Kpc), to explore the effects of environmental conditions on star forming regions. We present infrared observations acquired using the IRAC camera onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope and analyze the color-color diagrams to establish the membership of stars with excesses. We also merge this information with …