TY - JOUR
T1 - First light of BEaTriX, the new testing facility for the modular X-ray optics of the ATHENA mission
AU - Basso, S.
AU - Salmaso, B.
AU - Spiga, D.
AU - Ghigo, M.
AU - Vecchi, G.
AU - Sironi, G.
AU - Cotroneo, V.
AU - Conconi, P.
AU - Redaelli, E.
AU - Bianco, A.
AU - Pareschi, G.
AU - Tagliaferri, G.
AU - Sisana, D.
AU - Pelliciari, C.
AU - Fiorini, M.
AU - Incorvaia, S.
AU - Uslenghi, M.
AU - Paoletti, L.
AU - Ferrari, C.
AU - Lolli, R.
AU - Zappettini, A.
AU - del Rio, M. Sanchez
AU - Parodi, G.
AU - Burwitz, V.
AU - Rukdee, S.
AU - Hartner, G.
AU - Mueller, T.
AU - Schmidt, T.
AU - Langmeier, A.
AU - Ferreira, D. Della Monica
AU - Massahi, S.
AU - Gellert, N. C.
AU - Christensen, F.
AU - Bavdaz, M.
AU - Ferreira, Fatima
AU - Collon, M.
AU - Vacanti, G.
AU - Barriere, N. M.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Aims. The Beam Expander Testing X-ray facility (BEaTriX) is a
unique X-ray apparatus now operated at the Istituto Nazionale di
Astrofisica (INAF), Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (OAB), in Merate,
Italy. It has been specifically designed to measure the point spread
function (PSF) and the effective area (EA) of the X-ray mirror modules
(MMs) of the Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA),
based on silicon pore optics (SPO) technology, for verification before
integration into the mirror assembly. To this end, BEaTriX generates a
broad, uniform, monochromatic, and collimated X-ray beam at 4.51 keV.
The beam collimation is better than a few arcseconds, ensuring reliable
tests of the ATHENA MMs, in their focus at a 12 m distance.
Methods. In BEaTriX, a micro-focus X-ray source with a
titanium anode is placed in the focus of a paraboloidal mirror, which
generates a parallel beam. A crystal monochromator selects the 4.51 keV
line, which is expanded to the final size by a crystal asymmetrically
cut with respect to the crystalline planes. An in-house-built Hartmann
plate was used to characterize the X-ray beam divergence, observing the
deviation of X-ray beams from the nominal positions, on a 12-m-distant
CCD camera. After characterization, the BEaTriX beam has the nominal
dimensions of 170 mm × 60 mm, with a vertical divergence of 1.65 arcsec
and a horizontal divergence varying between 2.7 and 3.45 arcsec,
depending on the monochromator setting: either high collimation or high
intensity. The flux per area unit varies from 10 to 50 photons s−1 cm−2 from one configuration to the other.
Results. The BEaTriX beam performance was tested using an SPO
MM, whose entrance pupil was fully illuminated by the expanded beam, and
its focus was directly imaged onto the camera. The first light test
returned a PSF and an EA in full agreement with expectations. As of
today, the 4.51 keV beamline of BEaTriX is operational and can
characterize modular X-ray optics, measuring their PSF and EA with a
typical exposure of 30 min. Another beamline at 1.49 keV is under
development and will be integrated into the current equipment. We expect
BEaTriX to be a crucial facility for the functional test of modular
X-ray optics, such as the SPO MMs for ATHENA.
AB - Aims. The Beam Expander Testing X-ray facility (BEaTriX) is a
unique X-ray apparatus now operated at the Istituto Nazionale di
Astrofisica (INAF), Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (OAB), in Merate,
Italy. It has been specifically designed to measure the point spread
function (PSF) and the effective area (EA) of the X-ray mirror modules
(MMs) of the Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA),
based on silicon pore optics (SPO) technology, for verification before
integration into the mirror assembly. To this end, BEaTriX generates a
broad, uniform, monochromatic, and collimated X-ray beam at 4.51 keV.
The beam collimation is better than a few arcseconds, ensuring reliable
tests of the ATHENA MMs, in their focus at a 12 m distance.
Methods. In BEaTriX, a micro-focus X-ray source with a
titanium anode is placed in the focus of a paraboloidal mirror, which
generates a parallel beam. A crystal monochromator selects the 4.51 keV
line, which is expanded to the final size by a crystal asymmetrically
cut with respect to the crystalline planes. An in-house-built Hartmann
plate was used to characterize the X-ray beam divergence, observing the
deviation of X-ray beams from the nominal positions, on a 12-m-distant
CCD camera. After characterization, the BEaTriX beam has the nominal
dimensions of 170 mm × 60 mm, with a vertical divergence of 1.65 arcsec
and a horizontal divergence varying between 2.7 and 3.45 arcsec,
depending on the monochromator setting: either high collimation or high
intensity. The flux per area unit varies from 10 to 50 photons s−1 cm−2 from one configuration to the other.
Results. The BEaTriX beam performance was tested using an SPO
MM, whose entrance pupil was fully illuminated by the expanded beam, and
its focus was directly imaged onto the camera. The first light test
returned a PSF and an EA in full agreement with expectations. As of
today, the 4.51 keV beamline of BEaTriX is operational and can
characterize modular X-ray optics, measuring their PSF and EA with a
typical exposure of 30 min. Another beamline at 1.49 keV is under
development and will be integrated into the current equipment. We expect
BEaTriX to be a crucial facility for the functional test of modular
X-ray optics, such as the SPO MMs for ATHENA.
KW - Instrumentation: high angular resolution
KW - Instrumentation: miscellaneous
KW - X-rays: general
KW - Space vehicles: instruments
U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244028
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244028
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0004-6361
VL - 664
JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics
JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics
M1 - 173
ER -