One step closer into the heart of the X-IFU
A new video about the spectrometer X-IFU (X-ray Integral Field Unit) is now available. You will discover the heart of the instrument: its X-ray detection chain.
The spectrometer X-IFU is the main instrument of the European Space Agency’s future space telescope, Athena. It will observe the hot and energetic Universe with X-ray eyes, a world of clusters of galaxies, black holes, and exploding stars.
This new video about the X-IFU is a deep dive into the heart of the instrument. For about two minutes, discover the X-IFU detection chain: from the collection of photons by the mirror of the telescope to the data sent back to Earth. The video will reveal the many elements that form the detection chain and are all necessary for the instrument to accomplish all its promises.
The engineers and researchers of the X-IFU consortium are currently developing the innovative technologies used in the detection chain. Thanks to their skills and expertise, the X-IFU will measure the energy of each photon with unprecedented accuracy. This will enable astrophysicists to explore the regions from which the X-ray are emitted, providing, for instance, breakthrough information about the formation and evolution of the large structures of matter observed in the Universe.
This video comes at a time when the X-IFU Consortium is cruising though the preliminary definition phase of the instrument, a key step in the development of the X-IFU.
Further Resources
- Website : http://x-ifu.irap.omp.eu
- Twitter : http://bit.ly/XIFUonTwitter
- Facebook : http://bit.ly/XIFUonFacebook
IRAP Contact
- Didier Barret, didier.barret@irap.omp.eu
