ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics) is the Large X-ray mission selected by ESA for early 2030s. The ATHENA X-ray Space Telescope will be composed by a large number of Silicon Pore Optics Mirror Modules (SPO MMs) that requires a novel approach also from the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) point of view. The BEaTriX (Beam Expander Testing X-ray) facility, built at INAF-Brera Astronomical Observatory (Merate, Italy), is the unique facility for the ATHENA AIV process able to sequentially perform the X-ray acceptance tests of the SPO MMs sustaining the production rate. The BEaTriX innovative optical design, composed by elements (the parabolic mirror, the monochromators, and the Beam Expander), provides a monochromatic, expanded and low-divergent X-ray beam in a small volume to illuminate a complete SPO MM in a single exposure, with a considerable time and cost saving. The thesis work focuses on the alignment of the optical components and the qualification of the X-ray beam obtained after the optical chain to fulfill the ESA requirements. Moreover, the thesis investigates a method to characterize the BEaTriX X-ray beam that includes the wavefront reconstruction and its analysis through a development in Zernike polynomials, in order to understand the optical aberrations that affect the BEaTriX X-ray beam.
ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics) è la missione a raggi X di classe L, selezionata dall’Agenzia Spaziale Europea (ESA) e prevista per i primi anni 2030. I numerosi Silicon Pore Optics Mirror Modules (SPO MM), che costituiranno il telescopio spaziale a raggi X di ATHENA, richiedono un nuovo approccio dal punto di vista delle attrezzature di supporto a terra (GSE). Il laboratorio BEaTriX (Beam Expander Testing X-ray), realizzato presso INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Merate, Italia), è l’unica struttura adibita al processo di Assemblaggio, Integrazione e Verifica (AIV) di ATHENA, in grado di eseguire in sequenza i test di convalida a raggi X degli SPO MM rispettando il tasso di produzione. L’innovativo design ottico di BEaTriX, costituito da particolari elementi ottici (specchio parabolico, monocromatori ed espansore di fascio), è in grado di creare, in un piccolo volume, un fascio monocromatico, espanso e poco divergente di raggi X, così da illuminare un intero SPO MM con un’unica esposizione e garantendo un notevole risparmio di tempo e denaro. Il lavoro di tesi si focalizza sull’allineamento dei componenti ottici e sulla qualifica del fascio a raggi X prodotto dal sistema ottico, con l’intento di soddisfare i requisiti imposti dall’ESA. Inoltre la tesi indaga un metodo per caratterizzare il fascio di BEaTriX a raggi X che include la ricostruzione del fronte d’onda e la sua analisi attraverso l’utilizzo dei polinomi di Zernike, al fine di comprendere le aberrazioni ottiche di cui è affetto il fascio stesso.
Alignment and qualification of BEaTriX X-ray facility for testing the ATHENA space telescope
Sisana, Davide
2020/2021
Abstract
ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics) is the Large X-ray mission selected by ESA for early 2030s. The ATHENA X-ray Space Telescope will be composed by a large number of Silicon Pore Optics Mirror Modules (SPO MMs) that requires a novel approach also from the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) point of view. The BEaTriX (Beam Expander Testing X-ray) facility, built at INAF-Brera Astronomical Observatory (Merate, Italy), is the unique facility for the ATHENA AIV process able to sequentially perform the X-ray acceptance tests of the SPO MMs sustaining the production rate. The BEaTriX innovative optical design, composed by elements (the parabolic mirror, the monochromators, and the Beam Expander), provides a monochromatic, expanded and low-divergent X-ray beam in a small volume to illuminate a complete SPO MM in a single exposure, with a considerable time and cost saving. The thesis work focuses on the alignment of the optical components and the qualification of the X-ray beam obtained after the optical chain to fulfill the ESA requirements. Moreover, the thesis investigates a method to characterize the BEaTriX X-ray beam that includes the wavefront reconstruction and its analysis through a development in Zernike polynomials, in order to understand the optical aberrations that affect the BEaTriX X-ray beam.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Master Thesis_DS.pdf
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Descrizione: Master Thesis in Space Engineering: Alignment and Qualification of BEaTriX X-ray facility for testing the ATHENA Space Telescope
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Executive Summary_DS.pdf
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Descrizione: Executive Summary: Alignment and Qualification of BEaTriX X-ray facility for testing the ATHENA Space
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/186014