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[22.24] Design and Performance of the New Two-Dimensional Microcalorimeter Array for XRS on Astro-E2

C. K. Stahle (NASA/GSFC), XRS Microcalorimeter Team

The square-format microcalorimeter array that will sit at the focal plane of XRS on Astro-E2 has a number of advantages over its predecessor, the bilinear array that was launched on Astro-E. Foremost among the benefits of the new array are: 1) the energy resolution is improved by a factor of two at 6 keV (now 6 eV FWHM), 2) the thermal time constant is a factor of two faster, 3) each pixel has a Gaussian line response, and 4) more of the low energy (<400 eV) portion of the spectrum is usable. We will discuss the design changes that have led to these and other advantages of the new array, and we will present data from an extensive characterization phase of the flight array with the flight front-end electronics.

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#2
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.