Tools for simulations

For scientific simulation activities please use the responses available through the X-IFU and WFI Consortia web pages.

Athena effective area science requirements

The Athena effective area science requirements are:

Requirement Energy (keV) Instrument Area (cm2)
SCI-EA-R-050 0.35 X-IFU ≥1050
SCI-EA-R-060 1 X-IFU ≥10500
SCI-EA-R-070 7 X-IFU ≥1600
SCI-EA-R-075 10 X-IFU ≥300
SCI-EA-R-081 0.2 WFI ≥690
SCI-EA-R-091 1 WFI ≥12500
SCI-EA-R-100 7 WFI ≥1800
SCI-EA-R-110 10 WFI ≥400

 

Requirement implementation

 The requirements are implemented through the following mirror configuration:

  • Mirror Assembly (MA) with 15 rows, 6 sectors, 600 mirror modules
  • Active mirror apertues radius 244-1256 mm
  • Mirror plate rib spacing (pitch) of 2.3 mm
  • 10 nm of Ir coating on each individual module, plus 10 nm SiC overcoating in rows 9 to 15 (the outermost)
  • -1/+1 wedging geometry

 The mirror geometry is described in the Athena Telescope Reference Document (TRD) version 3.1 by Tim Oosterbroek (ESA/ESTEC).

 

Component Data Files

Estimates of the on-axis effective area, vignetting curves, and Point Spread Function (PSF) have been provided by Prof. Richard Willingale (University of Leicester). The data files provided on this web page are preliminary. They have been based on realistic ray-trace experiments including all known loss effects. In addition, they do include provisional loss factors to account for expected losses such as misalignments, coating imperfections, contamination, etc. The simulations correspond to the simulated mission at beginning-of-life conditions.

Mirror Effective Area On Axis (X-ray tracing, 1 eV energy resolution)

- 15 rows, 2.3 mm rib pitch, Ir+SiC coating in the outermost MA rows (nominal baseline configuration): ASCII

 For historical reasons, and for compliance with the original nominal requirements specified above, readers can download also an effective area data file corresponding to a Ir+B4​​​​​​​C coating. This does not represent any longer the baseline coating solution.

VIGNETTING

- Peak normalized vignetting curve as a function of energy and off-axis angle: ASCII (radial profile: PDF)

ON-AXIS PSF

- Image of the on-axis 1 keV PSF for the nominal HEW requirement (5"): FITS (pixel size=0.1")

- Image of the on-axis 1 keV PSF for a degraded HEW (6.5"): FITS (pixel size=0.1")

ON-AXIS De-focused PSF

  Images (FITS) and radial profiles (ASCII) of the 35-mm de-focused PSF as a function of energy (pixel size=0.25") at :

- 0.2 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 0.35 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 1 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 2.5 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 4 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 6.5 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 7 keV: FITS, ASCII

- 10 keV: FITS, ASCII

OFF-AXIS AREAs and PSF

- Area, HEW, and paramaters describing the PSF as a function of energy and off-axis angles for the nominal HEW requirement (5"): ASCII (radial dependence of the HEW: EPS)

- Area, HEW, and parameters describing the PSF as a function of energy and off-axis angles for a degraded HEW (6.5"): ASCII (radial dependence of the HEW: EPS)

The PSF model is a 2-D distribution whose radial profile corresponds to a modified pseudo-Voigt distribution.