On-board SVOM to be launched in 2024, the Microchannel X-Ray Telescope (MXT) is equipped with a 256 x 256 pixel pnCCD and two CAMEX ASIC operated at -65°C, and a full-custom front-end electronics box to control the focal plane and extract photon events. Proton irradiation tests were performed on a qualification model of the MXT focal plane and were followed by spectral calibration tests in the SOLEIL synchrotron. The paper will describe the setups of these two campaigns and the performance results, in particular the degradation of charge efficiency transfer and energy resolution by displacement damage dose.
The ARIEL InfraRed Spectrometer (AIRS) instrument will be implemented on board of the ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey) space mission led by ESA, to study the atmosphere of exoplanets by providing low resolution spectrum of the observed targets over broad infrared wavelength range covering the [1,95-7,8] μm. The satellite will be launched by ARIANE 6 from Kourou in 2029 for a 4 years mission. AIRS is equipped with two integrated Focal Plane Assemblies (iFPA) each resulting of the assembly of two subsystem: the Focal Plane Array (FPA) and the Cold Front-End Electronic (CFEE). Each FPA is equipped with a detector H1RG from Teledyne whose cut-off wavelength had been tuned to fit the wavelength domain of interest. The CFEE is connected by a flex cable to the detector package and passively cooled between around 60K through the AIRS optical benches and the Optical Bench of the ARIEL payload. Two different structural models and four bread board models have been developed to validate and qualify the thermal and mechanical design and to validate the full electrical functional detection chain. The paper will describe all these models and the results obtained during the qualification campaign and the performance tests of the first iFPA model equipped with an eight micrometers cut-off detector. This paper describes also the dedicated cryostat and test benches developed, with associated safety, to check compliance with mission requirement at subsystem level.
AIRS is the infrared spectroscopic instrument of ARIEL: Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey mission adopted in November 2020 as the Cosmic Vision M4 ESA mission and planned to be launched in 2029 by an Ariane 6 from Kourou toward a large amplitude orbit around L2 for a 4-year mission. Within the scientific payload, AIRS will perform transit spectroscopy of over 1000 exoplanets to complete a statistical survey, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a wide range of host stars. All these collected spectroscopic data will be a major asset to answer the key scientific questions addressed by this mission: what are exoplanets made of? How do planets and planetary systems form? How do planets and their atmospheres evolve over time? The AIRS instrument is based on two independent channels covering 1.95-3.90 µm (CH0) and 3.90-7.80 µm (CH1) wavelength ranges with prism-based dispersive elements producing spectra of low resolutions R>100 in CH0 and R>30 in CH1 on two independent detectors. The spectrometer is designed to provide a Nyquist-sampled spectrum in both spatial and spectral directions to limit the sensitivity of measurements to the jitter noise and intra pixels pattern during the long (10 hours) transit spectroscopy exposures. A full instrument overview will be presented covering the thermo-mechanical design of the instrument functioning in a 60 K environment, up to the detection and acquisition chain of both channels based on 2 HgCdTe detectors actively cooled to below 42 K. This overview will present updated information of phase C studies, in particular on the assembly and testing of prototypes that are highly representative of the future engineering model that will be used as an instrument-level qualification model.
T. Pichon, V. Schwartz, A. Gougeon, M. Berthé, C. Cara, M. Cartier, J. Martignac, V. Moreau, P. Mulet, M. Lortholary, L. Provost, D. Renaud, O. Tellier, F. Visticot
The fourth medium class ESA mission Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey also known as ARIEL is dedicated to the study of exoplanets. The goal of this mission is to characterize the atmosphere of exoplanets to find out what they are made of, how they form and evolve. The satellite is composed of two instruments: AIRS, for ARIEL Infrared Spectrometer, and a Fine Guidance System (FGS) which is used both to monitor the satellite position and as a near infrared spectrometer and photometer. AIRS instrument is made of two channels; one covers the spectral range 1.95 μm – 3.9 μm (called CH0) and the other 3.9 μm – 7.8 μm (called CH1). Both detectors are H1RG IR detectors based on MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) technology. During AIRS’ operations, the detectors will be operated in window mode. On CH1, the targeted window size is set to 64 columns over 130 lines. We will present the first results of characterization of early engineering model of CH1 detector performed on a dedicated test bench at the Astrophysics department of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). The detector control electronics is based on home developed electronics which is very similar to the one which will be used onboard of the AIRS instrument. The detector is operated in differential mode using the separate reference output available on the H1RG detectors. First the AIRS acquisition chain will be presented and then we will present he characterization results acquired with the detector operated in window mode.
Absolute Quantum Efficiency (QE) measurements are very demanding. To measure the QE of detectors from 0.8μm to 12.5μm a dedicated test bench has been built. The Quantix test bench relies on an optical design ensuring a uniform flat-field illumination of the detector. The illumination uniformity was measured with photodiodes built and calibrated at CEA/LETI. While performing QE measurements, the calibrated photodiode is placed in the vicinity of the detector to measure the incident flux. The Quantix test bench has been validated with a detector whose QE has been measured at the European Space Agency. In this paper, the test bench will be described in details and QE measurements performed on near infrared, MCT-based detectors will be presented. The intra-pixel response is also an important parameter to know as it can affect the accuracy of photometric and shape measurements. The Intrapix test bench has been specifically designed for this measurement, using the Talbot effect to simultaneously measure the intra-pixel response in a large number of subareas of a given detector, from 0.5 μm to 12 μm. The paper will give a brief status of the test bench development.
The program Astronomy European Infrared Detector (ASTEROID), funded by the European Union through H2020 (under Grant Agreement n°730161), aims at enabling Europe to acquire the technology and knowledge necessary to manufacture 2k² high performance IR detectors. To reach these goals 9 detectors have been manufactured at Lynred and characterized at the Astrophysics Department of CEA. ASTEROID detectors are 640×512 pixels arrays with a pixel pitch of 15 μm. The detectors are p-on-n technology, with 15 μm pixel pitch, with a cut-off wavelength of 2.1 μm. In the detector architecture, the MCT light-sensitive layer is hybridized on a Source Follower Detector (SFD) Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) via indium bumps. In this paper, the characterization results of ASTEROID detectors will be presented. The best detectors show extremely low dark current around 0.001 e-/s/pix, which is equivalent to standard H2RG IR detector (widely used in the IR domain for astrophysics applications). The quantum efficiency (QE) of these detectors has also been measured on a dedicated test bench and will be presented. ASTEROID detectors demonstrated a QE of 70 %.
AIRS is the infrared spectroscopic instrument of ARIEL: Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey mission selected in March 2018 as the Cosmic Vision M4 ESA mission and planned to be launched in 2029 by an Ariane 6 from Kourou toward a large amplitude orbit around L2 for a 4 year mission. Within the scientific payload, AIRS will perform transit spectroscopy of over a 1000 of exoplanets to complete a statistical survey, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a wide range of host stars. All these collected spectroscopic data will be a major asset to answer the key scientific questions addressed by this mission: what are the exoplanets made of? How do planets and planetary system form? How do planets and their atmospheres evolve over time? The AIRS instrument is based on two independent channels covering the CH0 [1.95-3.90] µm and the CH1 [3.90-7.80] µm wavelength range with prism-based dispersive elements producing spectrum of low resolutions R<100 in CH0 and R<30 in CH1 on two independent detectors. The spectrometer is designed to provide spectrum Nyquist-sampled in both spatial and spectral directions to limit the sensitivity of measurements to the jitter noise and intra pixels pattern during the long (10 hours) transit spectroscopy exposures. A full instrument overview will be presented covering the thermal mechanical design of the instrument functioning in a 60 K cold environment, up to the detection and acquisition chain of both channels based on 2 HgCdTe detectors actively cooled down below 42 K. This overview will present updated information of phase B2 studies in particular with the early manufacturing of prototype for key elements like the optics, focal-plane assembly and read-out electronics as well as the results of testing of the IR detectors up to 8.0 μm cut-off.
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