A&A 365, L18-L26 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20000066

The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The pn-CCD camera

L. Strüder¹, U. Briel¹, K. Dennerl¹, R. Hartmann², E. Kendziorra³, N. Meidinger¹, E. Pfeffermann¹, C. Reppin¹, B. Aschenbach¹, W. Bornemann¹, H. Bräuninger¹, W. Burkert¹, M. Elender¹, M. Freyberg¹, F. Haberl¹, G. Hartner¹, F. Heuschmann¹, H. Hippmann¹, E. Kastelic¹, S. Kemmer¹, G. Kettenring¹, W. Kink¹, N. Krause¹, S. Müller¹, A. Oppitz¹, W. Pietsch¹, M. Popp¹, P. Predehl¹, A. Read¹, K. H. Stephan¹, D. Stötter¹, J. Trümper¹, P. Holl², J. Kemmer², H. Soltau², R. Stötter², U. Weber², U. Weichert², C. von Zanthier², D. Carathanassis⁴, G. Lutz⁴, R. H. Richter⁴, P. Solc⁴, H. Böttcher³, M. Kuster³, R. Staubert³, A. Abbey⁵, A. Holland⁵, M. Turner⁵, M. Balasini⁶, G. F. Bignami⁶, N. La Palombara⁶, G. Villa⁶, W. Buttler⁷, F. Gianini⁸, R. Lainé⁸, D. Lumb⁸ and P. Dhez⁹.

¹  Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße, 85748 Garching, Germany
²  KETEK GmbH, Am Isarbach 30, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
³  Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Waldhäuser Str. 64, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
⁴  Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 München, Germany
⁵  X-ray Astronomy Group, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Leicester University, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
⁶  Istituto di Fisica Cosmica "G. Occhialini", CNR, Via E. Bassini 15/A, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁷  Ingenieurbüro Buttler, Eschenburg 55, 45276 Essen, Germany
⁸  ESTEC, PX, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
⁹  LURE, Bât. 209 D, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France

(Received 2 October 2000 / Accepted 27 October 2000)

Abstract
The European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) consortium has provided the focal plane instruments for the three X-ray mirror systems on XMM-Newton. Two cameras with a reflecting grating spectrometer in the optical path are equipped with MOS type CCDs as focal plane detectors (Turner 2001), the telescope with the full photon flux operates the novel pn-CCD as an imaging X-ray spectrometer. The pn-CCD camera system was developed under the leadership of the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Garching. The concept of the pn-CCD is described as well as the different operational modes of the camera system. The electrical, mechanical and thermal design of the focal plane and camera is briefly treated. The in-orbit performance is described in terms of energy resolution, quantum efficiency, time resolution, long term stability and charged particle background. Special emphasis is given to the radiation hardening of the devices and the measured and expected degradation due to radiation damage of ionizing particles in the first 9 months of in orbit operation.

Key words: XMM-Newton -back illuminated pn-CCDs -radiation hardness -energy resolution -quantum efficiency -particle and flourescence background

Offprint request: L. Strüder, lts@hll.mpg.de

© ESO 2001

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