From Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018
The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (Athena) is a large X-ray observatory which has
been selected by the European Space Agency for launch as the second large mission of its Cosmic Vision program. Athena has been designed to address the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme, which aims to reveal hot gas structures and black holes throughout cosmic time, and determine their wider importance for the appearance of the observable Universe. Athena consists of a single, large aperture X-ray telescope based on Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) technology, focussing X-rays onto one of two instruments. The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) provides spatially-resolved high resolution spectroscopy, which can be used to map the dynamics and chemical composition of hot diffuse cluster gas in galaxy clusters, and to detect weak absorption and emission features needed to uncovercharacteristic of the hot components of the intergalactic medium. The Wide-Field Imager (WFI) provides spectrally-resolved imaging over a large field of view, as well as high count-rate capability, and will be used, for example, to perform deep and wide X-ray surveys necessary to uncover typical growing black holes in the early Universe at z>6. The mission concept is currently undergoing Phase A study for an eventual launch to the Sun-Earth L2 point using an Ariane 6 launcher. In this presentation, the status of the Athena project and and associated scientific activities will be reviewed.
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Kirpal Nandra, "ATHENA: observing the hot and energetic universe with ESA's next generation x-ray observatory (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 10699, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 106991D (Presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation: June 13, 2018; Published: 10 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312552.5807163715001.