Development of an imaging system for the THESEUS SXI instrument

摘要

The Soft X-ray Imager instrument on the ESA THESEUS mission will provide high-energy imaging and spectroscopy observations of fast transients, providing significant steps forward in our understanding and characterisation of the early Universe. The instrument will utilise high performance microchannel plate optics (MPOs) and some of the first X-ray optimised CMOS devices to be used for space applications. The instrument team are currently developing a flight-like prototype instrument in order to enable full and appropriate characterisation of the instrument, and in particular the performance of candidate detectors. Here we present early results from the focal plane requirement study programme (including performance modelling and trade-off studies).