On-orbit HRMA On-axis Effective Area

On-orbit HRMA On-axis Effective Area

Ping Zhao

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

zhao@cfa.harvard.edu, 617-496-7582

August 9, 2000



Introduction

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) was successfully launched on July 23, 1999 by the space shuttle Columbia. It has returned fruitful scientific results in the past year. CXO has unprecedented capabilities of high resolution imaging and spectroscopy over the X-ray energy band of 0.1 keV - 10 keV. The effective area of its X-ray mirror - High-Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) - was measured using the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL from late 1996 to early 1997.

The on-orbit HRMA on-axis effective area predictions are generated from raytracing models and scaled by the HRMA calibration data taken at the XRCF.


SAOSAC Raytrace Simulations

The SAOSAC raytrace simulations were generated from the HRMA model which is based on measurements of HDOS metrology, Kodak assembly and the XRCF X-ray test. Its trace-shell configuration file can be found here.

The key raytrace configurations are:


On-orbit HRMA On-axis Effective Area Predictions

The On-orbit HRMA On-axis Effective Area predictions were generated by multiplying the raytrace simulations with the XRCF calibration data scaling factors.

The XRCF calibration data scaling factors are:
Here are the results of on-orbit HRMA on-axis effective area predictions:
Here are the results of on-orbit HRMA on-axis encircled energy predictions:
Back to: Telescope Scientist Home Page