Progress on the Micro-X sounding rocket X-ray telescope:completion of flight hardware

摘要

Micro-X is a rocket-borne X-ray telescope which will use an array of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimetersto obtain high resolution soft X-ray spectra of extended astronomical sources. The microcalorimeter array consists of128 pixels with a size of 590 m x 590 m each. The TESs are read out with a time-division Superconducting QuantumInterference Device (SQUID) multiplexing system. The instrument's front end assembly, which contains themicrocalorimeter array and two SQUID amplification stages, is located at the focal point of a conically approximatedWolter mirror with a focal length of 2100 mm and a point spread function of 2.4 arcmin half-power diameter. Thetelescope's effective area amounts to 300 cm~2at 1 keV. The TES array is cooled with an Adiabatic DemagnetizationRefrigerator. The first flight of Micro-X is scheduled for 2011, and will likely target a Si knot in the Puppis A supernovaremnant. The time available for the observation above an altitude of 160 km will be in excess of 300 seconds. Thedesign, manufacturing and assembly of the flight hardware has recently been completed, and system testing is underway.We describe the final design of the Micro-X instrument, and report on the overall status of the project.