Spectroscopic observations in the far and extreme ultraviolet (FUV/EUV, 40-200nm) is of great interest in various scientific fields, such as in Solar Physics, in physics of interstellar medium and in planetary exospheres studies. Microchannel plates-based detectors have been for a long time the detectors of choice for astronomical applications in this range of wavelength, due to their photon counting capability (since the expected photon flux are low) and the possibility of solar blindness (photon flux in the visible range are order of magnitudes higher and filtering may be an issue).
However, the spectral features observed in the targets are characterized by a high range of intensities, which can cover several orders of magnitude. Response of MCP detectors at high flux is limited ultimately by the MCP itself, but generally the readout system introduces further restrictions, thus the technique of lowering the efficiency in the area interested by the most intense lines is often adopted.
In the framework of technological R&D for future astronomical FUV/EUV spectrograph, we are developing a photon counting, solar blind, UV detector with readout system based on a 2D anode array integrated in a custom designed Read Out Integrated Circuit (MIRA - Microchannel plate Readout ASIC), with the aim of achieving high performances characteristics, in particular unprecedented performance in terms of dynamic range combined with spatial resolution close to 30 μm. This detector will allow to measure, simultaneously and without the necessity of filters, spectral lines with different intensities of orders of magnitude, exploiting the maximum Signal to Noise Ratio provided by the statistical limit.
A first prototype has been realized, based on a demonstrator of the MIRA ASIC, 32×32 pixels, 35×35 μm2 size, for a total chip area of 2×2 mm2, to be integrated with a standard demountable MCP intensifier.To overcome these limitations, we started in 2012 to design a facility aimed at generating a broad (170 x 60 mm2), uniform and low-divergent (1.5 arcsec HEW) X-ray beam within a small lab (∼ 9 x 18 m2), to characterize the ATHENA MM. BEaTriX (the Beam Expander Testing X-ray facility) makes use of an X-ray microfocus source, a paraboloidal mirror, a crystal monochromation system, and an asymmetrically-cut diffracting crystal for the beam expansion. These optical components, in addition to a modular low-vacuum level (10-3 mbar), enable to match the ATHENA SPO acceptance requirements.
The realization of this facility at INAF-OAB in Merate (Italy) is now on going. Once completed, BEaTriX can be used to test the Silicon Pore Optics modules of the ATHENA X-ray observatory, as well as other optics, like the ones of the Arcus mission. In this paper we report the advancement status of the facility.
The next generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope will explore the uppermost end of the Very High Energy domain up to about few hundreds of TeV with unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution and imaging quality.
To this end, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) is currently developing a scientific and technological telescope prototype for the implementation of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory. The Italian ASTRI program foresees the full design, development, installation and calibration of a Small Size 4-meter class Telescope, adopting an aplanatic, wide-field, double-reflection optical layout in a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration.
In this paper we discuss about the technological solutions adopted for the telescope and for the mirrors. In particular we focus on the structural and electro-mechanical design of the telescope, now under fabrication. The results on the optical performance derived from mirror prototypes are here described, too.
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