Ground calibration plans for the AXIS high speed camera

TL;DR

This paper outlines the ground calibration plan for the AXIS high-speed X-ray camera, detailing procedures, calibration sources, and scientific requirements to ensure optimal performance for the upcoming astrophysics mission.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive calibration strategy for the AXIS camera, integrating previous X-ray CCD calibration experience with new methodologies and calibration sources.

Findings

Calibration pipeline design for AXIS camera

Use of mono-energetic X-ray sources for spectral resolution

Quantum efficiency measurement against sCMOS devices

Abstract

The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS), an astrophysics NASA probe mission currently in phase A, will provide high-throughput, high-spatial resolution X-ray imaging in the 0.3 to 10 keV band. We report on the notional ground calibration plan for the High Speed Camera on AXIS, which is being developed at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research using state-of-the-art CCDs provided by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in combination with an integrated, high-speed ASIC readout chip from Stanford University. AXIS camera ground calibration draws on previous experience with X-ray CCD focal plans, in particular Chandra/ACIS and Suzaku/XIS, utilizing mono-energetic X-ray line sources to measure spectral resolution and quantum efficiency. Relative quantum efficiency of the CCDs will be measured against an sCMOS device, with known absolute calibration from synchrotron measurements. We walk through the envisioned CCD calibration pipeline and we discuss the observatory-level science and calibration requirements and how they inform the camera calibration.