Testing of the WXT optics at the University of Leicester

Charlotte Feldman; Paul O'Brien; Richard Willingale; Chen Zhang; Zhixing Ling; Weimin Yuan; Zhenqing Jia; Ge Jin; Longhui Li; Zhao Xu; Zhen Zhang; Hannah Lerman; Ian Hutchinson; Melissa McHugh; Alexander Lodge

doi:10.1117/12.2562194

13 December 2020 Testing of the WXT optics at the University of Leicester

Charlotte Feldman, Paul O'Brien, Richard Willingale, Chen Zhang, Zhixing Ling, Weimin Yuan, Zhenqing Jia, Ge Jin, Longhui Li, Zhao Xu, Zhen Zhang, Hannah Lerman, Ian Hutchinson, Melissa McHugh, Alexander Lodge

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11444, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 114447R (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562194
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

Einstein Probe is a Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) mission due for launch at the end of 2022 with its primary goals to discover high-energy transients and monitor variable objects. The mission consists of two instruments, the Wide field X-ray Telescope (WXT), a lobster eye X-ray telescope consisting of twelve identical modules; and the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), which is a traditional Wolter X-ray telescope, which is jointly developed by CAS, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE). Each of the WXT modules comprise of 36 micro pore optics (MPOs), with a 375 mm focal length, a field of view of more than 3600 square degrees, a goal of 5 arcmin resolution and working in the energy range of 0.5-4 keV. As part of the collaboration between CAS and ESA, the University of Leicester (UoL) is acting as a testing facility and repeatability check for several elements of the WXT optic development. This includes calibration of individual MPOs, temperature measurements on a prototype module, calibration of a qualification module and full calibration of one of the flight module optics. The majority of these tests will be performed in the two X-ray facilities at the University of Leicester, the Tunnel Test Facility (TTF) and the Vertical Test Facility (VTF). Presented here are details of the tests carried out and the results obtained from the first batch of individual MPOs and the plan for the thermal tests of the prototype in the TTF.

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Charlotte Feldman, Paul O'Brien, Richard Willingale, Chen Zhang, Zhixing Ling, Weimin Yuan, Zhenqing Jia, Ge Jin, Longhui Li, Zhao Xu, Zhen Zhang, Hannah Lerman, Ian Hutchinson, Melissa McHugh, and Alexander Lodge "Testing of the WXT optics at the University of Leicester", Proc. SPIE 11444, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 114447R (13 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562194

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