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

Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Barret, Didier
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Lam Trong, Thien
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den Herder, Jan-Willem
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Barcons, Xavier
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Huovelin, Juhani
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Kelley, Richard
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Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel
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Mitsuda, Kazuhisa
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Paltani, Stéphane
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Rauw, Gregor
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RoŻanska, Agata
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Wilms, Joern
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BOZZO , ENRICO
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Ceballos, Maria Teresa
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Charles, Ivan
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Decourchelle, Anne
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den Hartog, Roland
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Duval, Jean-Marc
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Gatti, Flavio
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Goldwurm, Andrea
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Jackson, Brian
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Jonker, Peter
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Kilbourne, Caroline
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Mendez, Mariano
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Orleanski, Piotr
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Pajot, François
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Pointecouteau, Etienne
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Porter, Frederick
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Pratt, Gabriel W.
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Prêle, Damien
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Ravera, Laurent
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Renotte, Etienne
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Schaye, Joop
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Shinozaki, Keisuke
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Vink, Jacco
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Webb, Natalie
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Yamasaki, Noriko
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Delcelier-Douchin, Françoise
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Le Du, Michel
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Mesnager, Jean-Michel
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Pradines, Alice
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Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella
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Finoguenov, Alexis
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Fukazawa, Yasushi
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Janiuk, Agnieszka
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Miller, Jon
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Nazé, Yaël.
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•
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Torrejon, Jose Miguel
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Geoffray, Hervé
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Hernandez, Isabelle
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Luno, Laure
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Peille, Philippe
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André, Jérôme
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Daniel, Christophe
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Etcheverry, Christophe
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Gloaguen, Emilie
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Hassin, Jérémie
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Hervet, Gilles
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Maussang, Irwin
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Moueza, Jérôme
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Paillet, Alexis
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Vella, Bruno
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Campos Garrido, Gonzalo
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Damery, Jean-Charles
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Panem, Chantal
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Panh, Johan
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Bandler, Simon
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Biffi, Jean-Marc
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Boyce, Kevin
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Clénet, Antoine
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DiPirro, Michael
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Jamotton, Pierre
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Schwander, Denis
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Smith, Stephen
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van Leeuwen, Bert-Joost
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van Weers, Henk
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Brand, Thorsten
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Cobo, Beatriz
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Dauser, Thomas
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de Plaa, Jelle
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Cucchetti, Edoardo
DOI
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).
Coverage
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
All editors
den Herder, Jan-Willem A.; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Bautz, Marshall
Series
Volume
9905
Start page
99052F
Conferenece
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Conferenece place
Edinburgh, UK
Conferenece date
26 June - 1 July, 2016
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0277-786X
Ads BibCode
2016SPIE.9905E..2FB
Rights
open.access
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