arcusTrace: modular raytracing software for the Arcus x-ray spectrometer

摘要

Commercially available optical design software lacks support for optimizing X-ray instruments for astronomy, which can feature thousands of optical surfaces operating at grazing incidence. To address this need for software, we present arcusTrace, a modular, Python-based raytracing software developed in support of the Arcus soft X-ray spectrometer. Each modular package models the behavior of an optical component in the spectrometer, allowing raytracing of single components up to the entire instrument. In addition, we leverage Python's built-in class structure to define common objects and simplify function calls. We have employed arcusTrace to predict the performance of the Arcus spectrometer and validated the software's performance by comparing its output to X-ray measurements conducted at the PANTER X-ray test facility. The resulting optical design for Arcus yields a high-resolution, high effective area spectrometer uniquely capable of addressing outstanding science questions in large scale structure formation, feedback, and stellar astrophysics.