Ground calibration plan for the Athena/X-IFU microcalorimeter spectrometer

TL;DR

This paper outlines the calibration plan for the Athena/X-IFU microcalorimeter spectrometer, detailing requirements, strategies, procedures, and sources for ground calibration to ensure high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy in space.

Contribution

It presents the first comprehensive calibration plan for the Athena/X-IFU instrument, including strategies and procedures for ground calibration of its key parameters.

Findings

Calibration requirements defined for X-IFU

Calibration procedures and sources identified

Ground calibration strategy established

Abstract

The X-ray Integral Field Unit is the X-ray imaging spectrometer on-board one of ESA's next large missions, Athena. Athena is set to investigate the theme of the Hot and Energetic Universe, with a launch planned in the late-2030s. Based on a high sensitivity Transition Edge Sensor (TES) detector array operated at very low temperature (50 mK), X-IFU will provide spatially resolved high resolution spectroscopy of the X-ray sky in the 0.2-12 keV energy band, with an energy resolution goal of 4 eV up to 7 keV [3 eV design goal]. This paper presents the current calibration plan of the X-IFU. It provides the requirements applicable to the X-IFU calibration, describes the overall calibration strategy, and details the procedure and sources needed for the ground calibration of each parameter or characteristics of the X-IFU.