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Session 77 - AXAF Calibration.
Display session, Wednesday, January 17
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center

[77.01] AXAF Calibration at the XRCF

J. Z. Juda, L. P. David, R. H. Donnelly, C. Jones, B. R. McNamara, H. D. Tananbaum (SAO), H. L. Marshall (MIT), J. P. Hughes, E. M. Kellogg, B. Wargelin, J. H. Chappell, A. Kenter, R. Kraft, S. S. Murray, M. V. Zombeck (SAO), M. W. Bautz (MIT), J. A. Nousek (PSU), D. Dewey, T. H. Markert (MIT), A. C. Brinkman, C. J. T. Gunsing (SRON), P. Predehl (MPE), R. A. Austin, J. J. Kolodziejczak, M. C. Weisskopf (MSFC), J. W. Arenberg, R. Carlson, S. C. Texter (TRW)

The Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) is designed to provide high spatial (\sim1^\prime\prime) and spectral (E/\Delta E \sim 1000) resulotion over an energy range of 0.1 to 10 keV. The goal of the calibration accuracy is 1%. The currently scheduled AXAF launch date is August 1998. From November 1996 to April 1997, the AXAF mirror assembly and science instruments will be calibrated at the XRCF (X-Ray Calibration Facility) at the Marshall Space Flight Center. In order to maximize the scientific return from this complex calibration task, it is necessary to carefully plan and schedule the calibration activities.

In this paper we will briefly review the characteristics of the AXAF and the XRCF facility. We will summarize the subassembly calibration plans and existing results. The main discussion will be on the current plan for the calibration at the XRCF and ground calibration products.

Program listing for Wednesday