The Beam Expander Testing X-ray facility (BEaTriX) is operated at the Brera Astronomical Observatory of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). It is a compact calibration facility which was designed and built with the prime goal to demonstrate that it can perform the acceptance test of the Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) Mirror Modules (MM) of the ESA NewAthena telescope, with the required accuracy and testing throughput. The first beamline, operating at 4.51 keV, is in operation since 2022 and successfully passed the ESA Acceptance Review in 2023. It delivers a wide (170 mm × 60 mm), monochromatic and quasi-parallel (< 2.5 arcsec) X-ray beam that mimics the illumination of a celestial source. The facility can operate in two configurations, one with high flux, the other with high collimation. In 2024, it has been used for the X-ray characterization of the first coated SPO Mirror Module (MM-0058), at the nominal temperature and across the full operating temperature range. With the data of this MM, a deconvolution-based method has been developed to mathematically reconstruct the intrinsic PSF of the MM, from the BEaTriX high-flux/mid-collimation images. The realization of the second beamline at 1.49 keV is now in advanced phase. All the optical components (parabolic mirror, two asymmetrically-cut Quartz crystals for the monochromator, two ADP crystals for the beam expander) have been procured and characterized; their dedicated manipulators have been assembled, aligned, and integrated in BEaTriX. The X-ray source is undergoing its final tests. In parallel, the BEaTriX facility has been upgraded (BEaTriX+) to extend its operational versatility from the fixed NewAthena focal length of 12 m to a tunable focal length in the range 1.4 ÷ 14 m, opening calibration capabilities to a wider class of X-ray optics. This paper presents the recent advancements in all these activities.
Advancing BEaTriX for enhanced x-ray calibrations
Ferrari, C.;Ferrari, E.;
2026
Abstract
The Beam Expander Testing X-ray facility (BEaTriX) is operated at the Brera Astronomical Observatory of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). It is a compact calibration facility which was designed and built with the prime goal to demonstrate that it can perform the acceptance test of the Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) Mirror Modules (MM) of the ESA NewAthena telescope, with the required accuracy and testing throughput. The first beamline, operating at 4.51 keV, is in operation since 2022 and successfully passed the ESA Acceptance Review in 2023. It delivers a wide (170 mm × 60 mm), monochromatic and quasi-parallel (< 2.5 arcsec) X-ray beam that mimics the illumination of a celestial source. The facility can operate in two configurations, one with high flux, the other with high collimation. In 2024, it has been used for the X-ray characterization of the first coated SPO Mirror Module (MM-0058), at the nominal temperature and across the full operating temperature range. With the data of this MM, a deconvolution-based method has been developed to mathematically reconstruct the intrinsic PSF of the MM, from the BEaTriX high-flux/mid-collimation images. The realization of the second beamline at 1.49 keV is now in advanced phase. All the optical components (parabolic mirror, two asymmetrically-cut Quartz crystals for the monochromator, two ADP crystals for the beam expander) have been procured and characterized; their dedicated manipulators have been assembled, aligned, and integrated in BEaTriX. The X-ray source is undergoing its final tests. In parallel, the BEaTriX facility has been upgraded (BEaTriX+) to extend its operational versatility from the fixed NewAthena focal length of 12 m to a tunable focal length in the range 1.4 ÷ 14 m, opening calibration capabilities to a wider class of X-ray optics. This paper presents the recent advancements in all these activities.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
