The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

Barret D, Lam Trong T, Den Herder JW, Piro L, Barcons X, Huovelin J, Kelley R, Mas-Hesse JM, Mitsuda K, Paltani S, Rauw G, Rozanska A, Wilms J, Barbera M, Bozzo E, Ceballos MT, Charles I, Decourchelle A, Den Hartog R, Duval JM, Fiore F, Gatti F, Goldwurm A, Jackson B, Jonker P, Kilbourne C, Macculi C, Méndez M, Molendi S, Orleanski P, Pajot F, Pointecouteau E, Porter F, Pratt GW, Prêle D, Ravera L, Renotte E, Schaye J, Shinozaki K, Valenziano L, Vink J, Webb N, Yamasaki N, Delcelier-Douchin F, Le Du M, Mesnager JM, Pradines A, Branduardi-Raymont G, Dadina M, Finoguenov A, Fukazawa Y, Janiuk A, Miller J, Nazé Y, Nicastro F, Sciortino S, Torrejon JM, Geoffray H, Hernandez I, Luno L, Peille P, André J, Daniel C, Etcheverry C, Gloaguen E, Hassin J, Hervet G, Maussang I, Moueza J, Paillet A, Vella B, Campos Garrido G, Damery JC, Panem C, Panh J, Bandler S, Biffi JM, Boyce K, Clénet A, DiPirro M, Jamotton P, Lotti S, Schwander D, Smith S, Van Leeuwen BJ, Van Weers H, Brand T, Cobo B, Dauser T, De Plaa J, Cucchetti E (2016)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2016

Publisher: SPIE

Book Volume: 9905

Article Number: 99052F

ISBN: 9781510601895

DOI: 10.1117/12.2232432

Abstract

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (Athena) will provide spatially resolved high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy from 0.2 to 12 keV, with ∼ 5" pixels over a field of view of 5 arc minute equivalent diameter and a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to 7 keV. In this paper, we first review the core scientific objectives of Athena, driving the main performance parameters of the X-IFU, namely the spectral resolution, the field of view, the effective area, the count rate capabilities, the instrumental background. We also illustrate the breakthrough potential of the X-IFU for some observatory science goals. Then we brie y describe the X-IFU design as defined at the time of the mission consolidation review concluded in May 2016, and report on its predicted performance. Finally, we discuss some options to improve the instrument performance while not increasing its complexity and resource demands (e.g. count rate capability, spectral resolution).

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

National Center for Scientific Research / Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) France (FR) University of Amsterdam Netherlands (NL) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States (USA) (US) Netherlands Institute for Space Research / Stichting Ruimteonderzoek Nederland (SRON) Netherlands (NL) Instituto de Física de Cantabria (IFCA) Spain (ES) Università degli Studi di Palermo Italy (IT) University of Geneva / Université de Genève (UNIGE) Switzerland (CH) National Centre for Space Studies / Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) France (FR) Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) Japan (JP) National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) Italy (IT) Leiden University Netherlands (NL) University of Liège (ULg) / Université de Liège Belgium (BE) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) University of Genova / Università degli Studi di Genova Italy (IT) University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) / Université de Grenoble France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Instituto Nacional Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) Spain (ES) Helsingin yliopisto / University of Helsinki Finland (FI) University of Alicante / Universidad de Alicante / Universitat d'Alacant Spain (ES) University of Michigan United States (USA) (US) Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Hiroshima University / 広島大学 Japan (JP) University College London (UCL) United Kingdom (GB) Space Research Centre / Centrum Badań Kosmicznych Poland (PL) University of Groningen / Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Netherlands (NL)

How to cite

APA:

Barret, D., Lam Trong, T., Den Herder, J.W., Piro, L., Barcons, X., Huovelin, J.,... Cucchetti, E. (2016). The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU). In Proceedings of the Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray. SPIE.

MLA:

Barret, Didier, et al. "The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)." Proceedings of the Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray SPIE, 2016.

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