Orbital verification of the CXO high-resolution mirror assembly alignment and vignetting

Terrance J. Gaetz; Diab Jerius; Richard J. Edgar; Leon P. Van Speybroeck; Daniel A. Schwartz; Maxim L. Markevitch; S. C. Taylor; Norbert S. Schulz

doi:10.1117/12.391574

18 July 2000 Orbital verification of the CXO high-resolution mirror assembly alignment and vignetting

Terrance J. Gaetz, Diab Jerius, Richard J. Edgar, Leon P. Van Speybroeck, Daniel A. Schwartz, Maxim L. Markevitch, S. C. Taylor, Norbert S. Schulz

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4012, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions III; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.391574
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2000, Munich, Germany

Abstract

Prior to launch, the High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) of the Chandra X-ray Observatory underwent extensive ground testing at the X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The resulting data were used to validate a high fidelity raytrace model for the HRMA performance. Further observations made during the post-launch Orbital Activation and Calibration period allow the on-orbit condition of the X-ray optics to be assessed. Based on these ground-based and on-orbit data, we examine the alignment of the X-ray optics based on the off-axis point spread function. We discuss how single-reflection ghost data obtained at XRCF can be used to better constrain the HRMA optical axis data. We examine the vignetting and the single-reflection ghost suppression properties of the telescope. Slight imperfections in alignment lead to a small azimuthal dependence of the off- axis effective area; the morphology of off-axis images also shows an additional small azimuthal dependence varying as 1/2 the position angle.

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Terrance J. Gaetz, Diab Jerius, Richard J. Edgar, Leon P. Van Speybroeck, Daniel A. Schwartz, Maxim L. Markevitch, S. C. Taylor, and Norbert S. Schulz "Orbital verification of the CXO high-resolution mirror assembly alignment and vignetting", Proc. SPIE 4012, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions III, (18 July 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.391574

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