The Astro-H high resolution soft x-ray spectrometer

Richard L. Kelley; Hiroki Akamatsu; Phillipp Azzarello; Tom Bialas; Kevin R. Boyce; Gregory V. Brown; Edgar Canavan; Meng P. Chiao; Elisa Costantini; Michael J. DiPirro; Megan E. Eckart; Yuichiro Ezoe; Ryuichi Fujimoto; Daniel Haas; Jan-Willem den Herder; Akio Hoshino; Kumi Ishikawa; Yoshitaka Ishisaki; Naoko Iyomoto; Caroline A. Kilbourne; Mark O. Kimball; Shunji Kitamoto; Saori Konami; Shu Koyama; Maurice A. Leutenegger; Dan McCammon; Kazuhisa Mitsuda; Ikuyuki Mitsuishi; Harvey Moseley; Hiroshi Murakami; Masahide Murakami; Hirofumi Noda; Mina Ogawa; Takaya Ohashi; Atsushi Okamoto; Naomi Ota; Stéphane Paltani; F. Scott Porter; Kazuhiro Sakai; Kosuke Sato; Yohichi Sato; Makoto Sawada; Hiromi Seta; Keisuke Shinozaki; Peter J. Shirron; Gary A. Sneiderman; Hiroyuki Sugita; Andrew E. Szymkowiak; Yoh Takei; Toru Tamagawa; Makoto Tashiro; Yukikatsu Terada; Masahiro Tsujimoto; Cor P. de Vries; Shinya Yamada; Noriko Y. Yamasaki; Yoichi Yatsu

doi:10.1117/12.2232509

17 August 2016 The Astro-H high resolution soft x-ray spectrometer

Richard L. Kelley, Hiroki Akamatsu, Phillipp Azzarello, Tom Bialas, Kevin R. Boyce, Gregory V. Brown, Edgar Canavan, Meng P. Chiao, Elisa Costantini, Michael J. DiPirro, Megan E. Eckart, Yuichiro Ezoe, Ryuichi Fujimoto, Daniel Haas, Jan-Willem den Herder, Akio Hoshino, Kumi Ishikawa, Yoshitaka Ishisaki, Naoko Iyomoto, Caroline A. Kilbourne, Mark O. Kimball, Shunji Kitamoto, Saori Konami, Shu Koyama, Maurice A. Leutenegger, Dan McCammon, Kazuhisa Mitsuda, Ikuyuki Mitsuishi, Harvey Moseley, Hiroshi Murakami, Masahide Murakami, Hirofumi Noda, Mina Ogawa, Takaya Ohashi, Atsushi Okamoto, Naomi Ota, Stéphane Paltani, F. Scott Porter, Kazuhiro Sakai, Kosuke Sato, Yohichi Sato, Makoto Sawada, Hiromi Seta, Keisuke Shinozaki, Peter J. Shirron, Gary A. Sneiderman, Hiroyuki Sugita, Andrew E. Szymkowiak, Yoh Takei, Toru Tamagawa, Makoto Tashiro, Yukikatsu Terada, Masahiro Tsujimoto, Cor P. de Vries, Shinya Yamada, Noriko Y. Yamasaki, Yoichi Yatsu

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9905, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 99050V (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232509
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

We present the overall design and performance of the Astro-H (Hitomi) Soft X-Ray Spectrometer (SXS). The instrument uses a 36-pixel array of x-ray microcalorimeters at the focus of a grazing-incidence x-ray mirror Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT) for high-resolution spectroscopy of celestial x-ray sources. The instrument was designed to achieve an energy resolution better than 7 eV over the 0.3-12 keV energy range and operate for more than 3 years in orbit. The actual energy resolution of the instrument is 4-5 eV as demonstrated during extensive ground testing prior to launch and in orbit. The measured mass flow rate of the liquid helium cryogen and initial fill level at launch predict a lifetime of more than 4 years assuming steady mechanical cooler performance. Cryogen-free operation was successfully demonstrated prior to launch. The successful operation of the SXS in orbit, including the first observations of the velocity structure of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, demonstrates the viability and power of this technology as a tool for astrophysics.

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Richard L. Kelley, Hiroki Akamatsu, Phillipp Azzarello, Tom Bialas, Kevin R. Boyce, Gregory V. Brown, Edgar Canavan, Meng P. Chiao, Elisa Costantini, Michael J. DiPirro, Megan E. Eckart, Yuichiro Ezoe, Ryuichi Fujimoto, Daniel Haas, Jan-Willem den Herder, Akio Hoshino, Kumi Ishikawa, Yoshitaka Ishisaki, Naoko Iyomoto, Caroline A. Kilbourne, Mark O. Kimball, Shunji Kitamoto, Saori Konami, Shu Koyama, Maurice A. Leutenegger, Dan McCammon, Kazuhisa Mitsuda, Ikuyuki Mitsuishi, Harvey Moseley, Hiroshi Murakami, Masahide Murakami, Hirofumi Noda, Mina Ogawa, Takaya Ohashi, Atsushi Okamoto, Naomi Ota, Stéphane Paltani, F. Scott Porter, Kazuhiro Sakai, Kosuke Sato, Yohichi Sato, Makoto Sawada, Hiromi Seta, Keisuke Shinozaki, Peter J. Shirron, Gary A. Sneiderman, Hiroyuki Sugita, Andrew E. Szymkowiak, Yoh Takei, Toru Tamagawa, Makoto Tashiro, Yukikatsu Terada, Masahiro Tsujimoto, Cor P. de Vries, Shinya Yamada, Noriko Y. Yamasaki, and Yoichi Yatsu "The Astro-H high resolution soft x-ray spectrometer", Proc. SPIE 9905, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 99050V (17 August 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232509

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