Issue |
A&A
Volume 365, Number 1, January 2001
First Results from XMM-Newton
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L27 - L35 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20000087 | |
Published online | 15 January 2001 |
The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The MOS cameras
1
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Leicester University, LE1 7RH, UK
2
CEA/DSM/DAPNIA Service d'Astrophysique, CEA/Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
3
Laben S.p.A, S.S. Padana Superiore, 290, 20090 Vimodrone, Milano, Italy
4
Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Palermo, 90134, Italy
5
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Bât. 121, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
6
IFC Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
7
Centre d'Étude Spatiale des Rayonnements, 9 avenue du colonel Roche, BP 4346, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
8
MPE D-85740 Garching, 8046, Germany
9
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
10
Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation du Rayonnement Électromagnétique, Bât. 209 D, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
11
ITESRE, 41010 Bologna, Italy
12
IAAP Tuebingen, 72076, Germany
13
PX ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
14
Space Science Department, ESTEC, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Corresponding author: M. J. L. Turner, mjlt@star.le.ac.uk
Received:
4
October
2000
Accepted:
31
October
2000
The EPIC focal plane imaging spectrometers on XMM-Newton use CCDs to record the images and spectra of celestial X-ray sources focused by the three X-ray mirrors. There is one camera at the focus of each mirror; two of the cameras contain seven MOS CCDs, while the third uses twelve PN CCDs, defining a circular field of view of 30′ diameter in each case. The CCDs were specially developed for EPIC, and combine high quality imaging with spectral resolution close to the Fano limit. A filter wheel carrying three kinds of X-ray transparent light blocking filter, a fully closed, and a fully open position, is fitted to each EPIC instrument. The CCDs are cooled passively and are under full closed loop thermal control. A radio-active source is fitted for internal calibration. Data are processed on-board to save telemetry by removing cosmic ray tracks, and generating X-ray event files; a variety of different instrument modes are available to increase the dynamic range of the instrument and to enable fast timing. The instruments were calibrated using laboratory X-ray beams, and synchrotron generated monochromatic X-ray beams before launch; in-orbit calibration makes use of a variety of celestial X-ray targets. The current calibration is better than 10% over the entire energy range of 0.2 to 10 keV. All three instruments survived launch and are performing nominally in orbit. In particular full field-of-view coverage is available, all electronic modes work, and the energy resolution is close to pre-launch values. Radiation damage is well within pre-launch predictions and does not yet impact on the energy resolution. The scientific results from EPIC amply fulfil pre-launch expectations.
Key words: instrumentation: detectors / X-rays: general
© ESO, 2001
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.