Status of the ESA L1 mission candidate ATHENA

Rando, N.; Martin, D.; Lumb, D.; Verhoeve, P.; Oosterbroek, T.; Bavdaz, Marcos; Fransen, Sebastiaan; Linder, M.; Peyrou-Lauga, Romain; Voirin, Thomas; Braghin, M.; Mangunsong, S.; Pelt, Michel van; Wille, Eric

doi:10.1117/12.924820

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…It allows for smaller manufacturing, assembly, testing and transport equipment. Non-circular apertures can be realised by omitting mirror modules at certain positions [14].…”

Section: Silicon Pore Opticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European x-ray optics for next generation space observatories

Wille

Bavdaz

2015

Acta Astronautica

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“…It allows for smaller manufacturing, assembly, testing and transport equipment. Non-circular apertures can be realised by omitting mirror modules at certain positions [14].…”

Section: Silicon Pore Opticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European x-ray optics for next generation space observatories

Wille

Bavdaz

2015

Acta Astronautica

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“…The Hot Slumping of thin glass foils is a very attractive technology under investigation by several groups for the realization of future segmented X-ray telescopes [1 -5] aiming at combining a large effective area with good angular and energy resolution as for example the ones foreseen for IXO-like or ATHENA-like missions [6], [7]. Such telescopes assembling will be based on a principle of hierarchical integration: single mirrors segments will be integrated into elemental modules, usually called X-ray Optical Unit (XOU), then assembled and aligned in the Flight Mirror Assembly (FMA) through intermediate azimuthal structures to reestablish the cylindrical symmetry of the nested telescope with Wolter I (or a Wolter I approximation) optical design [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6,7 The assembling of such telescopes will be based on a principle of hierarchical integration: single mirrors segments will be integrated into elemental modules, usually called an x-ray optical unit (XOU), then assembled and aligned in the flight mirror assembly (FMA) through intermediate azimuthal structures to reestablish the cylindrical symmetry of the nested telescope with a Wolter I (or a Wolter I approximation) optical design. 8 Slumping technology has already been successfully employed for the production of the NuSTAR telescope, launched in 2012, 9,10 which is able to deliver high image quality at a focus of 45 arcsec HEW.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the surface strength of glass plates shaped by hot slumping process

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Hot slumping technology is under development by several research groups in the world for the realization of grazing-incidence segmented mirrors for x-ray astronomy, based on thin glass plates shaped over a mold at temperatures above the transformation point. The performed thermal cycle and related operations might have effects on the strength of the glass, with consequences for the structural design of the elemental optical modules and, consequently, on the entire x-ray optic for large astronomical missions such as IXO and ATHENA. The mechanical strength of glass plates after they underwent the slumping process was tested through destructive double-ring tests in the context of a study performed by the Astronomical Observatory of Brera with the collaboration of Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro and BCV Progetti. The entire study was done on more than 200 D263 Schott borosilicate glass specimens of dimensions 100 mm × 100 mm and a thickness 0.4 mm, either flat or bent at a radius of curvature of 1000 mm through the pressure-assisted hot slumping process developed by INAF-OAB. The collected experimental data have been compared with nonlinear finite element model analyses and treated with the Weibull statistic to assess the current IXO glass x-ray telescope design, in terms of survival probability, when subjected to static and acoustic loads characteristic of the launch phase. The paper describes the activities performed and presents the obtained results. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

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“…SPO was selected as the baseline technology for the former IXO and ATHENA mission candidates [1][2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicon pore optics for future x-ray telescopes

Wille¹,

Bavdaz²,

Wallace

et al. 2017

International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2012

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Abstract-Lightweight X-ray Wolter optics with a high angular resolution will enable the next generation of X-ray telescopes in space. The candidate mission ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics) required a mirror assembly of 1 m² effective area (at 1 keV) and an angular resolution of 10 arcsec or better. These specifications can only be achieved with a novel technology like Silicon Pore Optics, which is being developed by ESA together with a consortium of European industry. Silicon Pore Optics are made of commercial Si wafers using process technology adapted from the semiconductor industry. We present the recent upgrades made to the manufacturing processes and equipment, ranging from the manufacture of single mirror plates towards complete focusing mirror modules mounted in flight configuration, and results from first vibration tests. The performance of the mirror modules is tested at X-ray facilities that were recently extended to measure optics at a focal distance up to 20 m.

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Status of the ESA L1 mission candidate ATHENA

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

European x-ray optics for next generation space observatories

European x-ray optics for next generation space observatories

Evaluation of the surface strength of glass plates shaped by hot slumping process

Silicon pore optics for future x-ray telescopes

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