The VERT-X calibration facility: development of the most critical parts

A. Moretti; D. Spiga; S. Basso; G. Sironi; G. Pareschi; V. Cotroneo; M. Civitani; M. Ghigo; N. La Palombara; M. Uslenghi; G. Valsecchi; F. Marioni; D. Vernani; F. Zocchi; G. Parodi; M. Ottolini; M. Tordi; S. de Lorenzi; F. Amisano; V. Burwitz; D. Della Monica Ferreira; P. Corradi; M. Bavdaz; I. Ferreira

doi:10.1117/12.2676644

5 October 2023 The VERT-X calibration facility: development of the most critical parts

A. Moretti, D. Spiga, S. Basso, G. Sironi, G. Pareschi, V. Cotroneo, M. Civitani, M. Ghigo, N. La Palombara, M. Uslenghi, G. Valsecchi, F. Marioni, D. Vernani, F. Zocchi, G. Parodi, M. Ottolini, M. Tordi, S. de Lorenzi, F. Amisano, V. Burwitz, D. Della Monica Ferreira, P. Corradi, M. Bavdaz, I. Ferreira

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12679, Optics for EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Astronomy XI; 126790X (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2676644
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2023, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The mirror assembly of the ESA New - Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (New-ATHENA) will be the largest x-ray optics ever built. Indeed, its unprecedented size, mass and focal length create great difficulties for the ground calibration. The VERT-X project aims at developing an innovative calibration facility which will be able to accomplish to this extremely challenging task. The design is based on a 2.5 cm² parallel beam produced by an x-ray source positioned in the focus of a highly performing collimator. In order to cover the whole mirror, the beam will be accurately moved by a raster-scan with the capability to tilt up to three degrees in order to test the off-axis performance and the out of field stray-light. The whole system is enclosed in a cylindrical vacuum chamber about 20 m high and with a diameter ranging from 7 to 4 m. By design, VERT-X will be able to measure the New-ATHENA mirror half energy width (HEW) with a precision of 0.1”, all over the field of view, with the source size, the collimator error and the raster scan tracking accuracy being the most important terms of the error budget. The VERT-X project, started in 2018, is financed by ESA and conducted by a consortium that includes INAF together with EIE, Media Lario, BCV Progetti and Apogeo Space. This paper presents the current state of the development and manufacturing of the most critical systems of the facility, namely the raster-scan mechanism and the source-collimator vertical assembly.

Conference Presentation

(2023) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

A. Moretti, D. Spiga, S. Basso, G. Sironi, G. Pareschi, V. Cotroneo, M. Civitani, M. Ghigo, N. La Palombara, M. Uslenghi, G. Valsecchi, F. Marioni, D. Vernani, F. Zocchi, G. Parodi, M. Ottolini, M. Tordi, S. de Lorenzi, F. Amisano, V. Burwitz, D. Della Monica Ferreira, P. Corradi, M. Bavdaz, and I. Ferreira "The VERT-X calibration facility: development of the most critical parts", Proc. SPIE 12679, Optics for EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Astronomy XI, 126790X (5 October 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2676644

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