Issue |
A&A
Volume 375, Number 1, August III 2001
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L5 - L8 | |
Section | Letters | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20010916 | |
Published online | 15 August 2001 |
Evidence for micrometeoroid damage in the pn-CCD camera system aboard XMM-Newton
1
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße, 85748 Garching, Germany
2
ESA/ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
3
KETEK GmbH, Am Isarbach 30, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
4
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Corresponding author: L. Strüder, lts@hll.mpg.de
Received:
30
March
2001
Accepted:
26
June
2001
The mirror systems of the X-ray observatory XMM-Newton were designed to image X-rays up to 15 keV by grazing incidence reflection onto a focal plane, equipped with Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs). In orbit #156 we have observed a sudden increase of about 35 "bright" pixels spread over 15 cm2 in the pn-CCD camera system. The amount of locally generated leakage current cannot be explained by ionizing particles. We suggest that a micrometeoroid scattered under a small angle off the X-ray telescope mirror surface finally reached the focal plane detector and produced the damage.
Key words: telescopes / space vehicles: instruments / meteors, meteoroids / interplanetary medium
© ESO, 2001
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