Related papers: Pulse processing in TES detectors: comparison of d…

ATHENA is a large-class ESA mission selected for launch in 2031. It is designed to address the science theme "The Hot and Energetic Universe", performing X-ray observations (0.2-12 keV) at the L2 Sun-Earth Lagrangian point. The X-IFU is one…

Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) carried by X-ray telescopes are powerful tools for the study of neutron stars and black holes. Several methods, such as optimal filtering or principal component analysis, have already been…

We are developing X-ray microcalorimeters as a backup option for the baseline detectors in the X-IFU instrument on board the ATHENA space mission led by ESA and to be launched in the early 2030s.5$\times$5 mixed arrays with TiAu…

The X-ray integral field unit for the Athena mission consists of a microcalorimeter transition edge sensor pixel array. Incoming photons generate pulses which are analyzed in terms of energy, in order to assemble the X-ray spectrum. Usually…

ATHENA, with a launch foreseen in 2028 towards the L2 orbit, addresses the science theme "The Hot and Energetic Universe", coupling a high-performance X-ray Telescope with two complementary focal-plane instruments. One of these, the X-ray…

Frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) is the baseline readout system for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the Athena mission. Under the FDM scheme, TESs are coupled to a passive LC filter and biased with alternating current (AC…

We present the design and implementation of a thermal model, developed in COMSOL, aiming to probe the wafer-scale thermal response arising from realistic rates and energies of cosmic rays at L2 impacting the detector wafer of Athena X-IFU.…

The ATHENA X-ray Observatory is the second large-class mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 science programme. One of the two on-board instruments is the X-IFU, an imaging spectrometer based on a large array of TES microcalorimeters.…

The X-IFU is the cryogenic spectrometer onboard the future ATHENA X-ray observatory. It is based on a large array of TES microcalorimeters, which works in combination with a Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector (CryoAC). This is necessary to…

ATHENA is a large X-ray observatory, planned to be launched by ESA in 2028 towards an L2 orbit. One of the two instruments of the payload is the X-IFU: a cryogenic spectrometer based on a large array of TES microcalorimeters, able to…

Transition-edge sensors (TESs) are capable of highly accurate single particle energy measurement. TESs have been used for a wide range of photon detection applications, particularly in astronomy, but very little consideration has been given…

We present a test platform for the Athena X-IFU detection chain, which will serve as the first demonstration of the representative end-to-end detection and readout chain for the X-IFU, using prototypes of the future flight electronics and…

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is an instrument of ESA's future NewAthena space observatory, with the goal to provide high-energy resolution ($<$ 4 eV at X-ray energies up to 7 keV) and high-spatial resolution (9") spectroscopic…

The Wide Field Imager (WFI), one of two instruments on ESA's next large X-ray mission Athena, is designed for imaging spectroscopy of X-rays in the range of 0.2 to 15 keV with a large field of view and high count rate capability. The focal…

Transition-edge sensors (TES) are photon-number resolving calorimetric spectrometers with near unit efficiency. Their recovery time, which is on the order of microseconds, limits the number resolving ability and timing accuracy in high…

At SRON we have been developing X-ray TES micro-calorimeters as backup technology for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) of the Athena mission, demonstrating excellent resolving powers both under DC and AC bias. We also developed a…

The properties (temperature, density, chemical composition, velocity) of hot astrophysical plasma and the physical processes affecting them (heating/cooling, turbulence, shocks, acceleration) can be probed by high resolution X-ray…

The Wide Field Imager for the Athena X-ray telescope is composed of two back side illuminated detectors using DEPFET sensors operated in rolling shutter readout mode: A large detector array featuring four sensors with 512x512 pixels each…

Transition edge sensor microcalorimeters can measure x-ray and gamma-ray energies with very high energy resolution and high photon-collection efficiency. For this technology to reach its full potential in future x-ray observatories, each…

The focal plane of Athena's WFI consists of spectroscopic single photon X-ray detectors that contain arrays of DEPFETs (DEpleted P-channel Field-Effect Transistor) as well as ASICs that are used for steering, readout and analog signal…