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The Astro-E2/XRS-2 helium insert system
Mitsuda, K.; Fujimoto, R.; McCammon, D. +5 more
The X-ray Spectrometer (XRS-2) instrument on the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) Astro-E2 spacecraft will measure faint X-ray emissions in the energy range of 0.2-10 keV. A square array of 32 X-ray microcalorimeters used will be able to distinguish individual photons to better than 10 eV at 6 keV, with a quantum efficiency near 100%. The detectors ar…
X-ray microcalorimeters for Astro-E2 and high-energy astrophysics
Kelley, Richard L.
The Japan/US Suzaku (formerly Astro-E2) astrophysics mission has been successfully launched. Suzaku is a powerful new orbiting observatory for studying extremely energetic processes in the universe. Sensitive X-ray spectrometers have been designed to enable precise measurements of high-energy processes in stars, supernova remnants, galaxies, clust…
Laboratory astrophysics and atomic physics using the NASA/GSFC microcalorimeter spectrometers at the LLNL electron beam ion trap and radiation properties facility
Boyce, K. R.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Porter, F. S. +10 more
The 32 pixel laboratory microcalorimeter spectrometer built by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is now an integral part of the spectroscopy suite used routinely by the electron beam ion trap and radiative properties group at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The second generation laboratory instrument, dubbed the XRS/EBIT, is …
Ground calibration of the XRS microcalorimeter onboard Suzaku
Ishisaki, Y.; Mitsuda, K.; Boyce, K. R. +13 more
The XRS microcalorimeter was launched in July 2005 as part of the Suzaku mission. It covers the energy band from 0.3 to 10 keV with a nearly constant energy resolution of 6 eV and a peak effective area of 200 cm 2 at 1.5 keV. The XRS will provide unprecedented throughput and resolving power, particularly at high energies and for extende…
Performance verification of the Suzaku X-ray Spectrometer in the flight configuration
Ishisaki, Y.; Mitsuda, K.; Boyce, K. R. +12 more
The X-ray Spectrometer (XRS) is a high resolution, non-dispersive cryogenic detector on board the X-ray satellite, Suzaku (Astro-E2), which was successfully launched on July 10, 2005. The XRS achieves an energy resolution of 6 eV at 6 keV (FWHM) and covers a broad energy range of ∼0.07 10 keV. The XRS will enable powerful plasma diagnostics of a v…
Background radiation effects and hazards in planetary instrumentation
Butcher, Gillian; Sims, Mark R.; Fraser, George +3 more
Recent and proposed future planetary missions are becoming increasingly concerned with detailed geochemical assessment, often in a bid to ascertain the presence of water and life supporting geochemical systems. The instruments involved may use some kind of radioactive source, e.g. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Mössbauer spectrometry, neutron sc…
DEPFET development at the MPI semiconductor laboratory
Lutz, Gerhard
The DEPFET device concept offers unique properties that make it useful for applications in X-ray astronomy and particle physics as well as in other fields. They form the basis for two major projects of the MPI Semiconductor Laboratory. This survey reviews device concepts, potential, technology and properties of devices produced at the laboratory. …
Radiation hardness studies for the X-ray Solar Monitor (XSM) onboard the ESA SMART-1 mission
Andersson, H.; Alha, L.; Huovelin, J. +7 more
The X-ray detection performance of the X-ray Solar Monitor (XSM, onboard the ESA SMART-1 satellite) Si pin -detector was studied after exposure to several types of radiation typical of the space environment (i.e. protons, electrons and γ -radiation). The detector withstands the tested radiation types at the expected mission dose levels. Hence, the…
The energetic NeUtral Atom Detector Unit (NUADU) for China's Double Star Mission and its calibration
Barabash, Stas; McKenna-Lawlor, Susan; Shen, Chao +11 more
An account is provided of an advanced Energetic NeUtral Atom Detector Unit (NUADU) designed for China's Double Star Mission. Special emphasis is given to describing the detector head of the instrument and its calibration.
Imaging principles and techniques in space-borne gamma-ray astronomy
Schönfelder, Volker
Gamma-ray astronomy in the photon energy band from several 100keV up to say 10GeV can only be performed from space. Tremendous progress has been made in this young research field during the last 40 years. All-Sky maps exist now in continuum and line emission and short gamma-ray bursts-lasting only seconds-can be located to better than 1arcmin. The…