Athena: the Extremes of the Universe from Black Holes to Large-scale Structure
Rome, Italy, March 22, 2012
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The Athena Mission...in a Nutshell

Core Science Objectives

Black holes & accretion physics
Map the innermost region around accreting black holes and other compact objects and probe matter under strong gravity and high density conditions.
Cosmic feedback
Reveal the physics of feedback from AGN and starbursts on all scales; quantify supermassive black hole growth and its relationship to galaxy evolution.
Large-scale structure of the Universe
Trace the formation and evolution of large-scale structure via hot baryons in galaxy clusters, groups and the intergalactic medium comprising the cosmic web.
Diagnose hot cosmic plasmas in all astrophysical environments.
Graphical representation of Athena's core science

Artist's illustration of Athena's science goals, linking phenomena occurring around black holes to the large-scale structure of the Universe through cosmic feedback. The cartoon also illustrates some local and distant environments where Athena's observations will reveal the state of astrophysical hot plasmas.

Scientific performance requirements

ParameterPerformance requirementScience Goals
Effective Area (total for 2 telescopes) 1 m2 @ 1.25 keV (goal of 1.2 m2)
0.5 m2 @ 6 keV (goal of 0.7 m2)		 Black hole evolution, large-scale struct.
Strong gravity, equation of state
Spectral resolution (FWHM) ΔE=3 eV (@6 keV) in 2′ × 2′
(goal of 2.5 and 3′ × 3′)

ΔE=150 eV (@6 keV) in 24′ × 24′
(goal of 125 and 28′ × 28′)		 Cosmic feedback, large-scale structure.


Black hole evolution
Angular resolution 10′′ HPD (0.1—6 keV)
(goal of 5′′)		 Cosmic feedback, black hole evolution
Sensitivity (0.5—2 keV) 4 × 10-17 erg cm-2 s-1
(goal of 2 × 10-17 erg cm-2 s-1)		 Black hole evolution
Count Rate (WFI) 1 Crab with > 90% throughput
ΔE < 200 eV @ 6 keV (0.3—10 keV)		 Strong gravity
Equation of state
Astrometry 1.5′′ at 3-σ confidence Black hole evolution
Absolute timing 100 μsec Neutron star studies

Mission & Spacecraft

LauncherAriane VLaunch Date2022
OrbitL2 halo, 750,000 km amplitudeLifetimeDesign 5 yrs, consumables 10 yrs
Optical BenchXMM-like metering structurePonting3-axes stabilised 1.5′′ measurement
High Gain AntennaSteerable X-bandData Rate:~100 Gbit/day
Observations~500/yearGround Station:New Norcia
Spacecraft Mass4.15 tonnesLaunch capability to L26.6 tonnes

X-ray telescope

  • Two co-aligned X-ray telescopes
  • 12 m Focal length
  • 1 m2 effective area at 1 keV
  • 10′′ baseline resolution (with a 5′′ goal)
  • 0.5 m2 effective area at 6 keV
  • Two co-aligned X-ray telescopes
  • Mirror assembly 650 kg
  • Hierarchical assembly of ~ 500 modules
  • Silicon pore optics already demonstrated in flight configuration
Images of the spacecraft module

Instrument Payload

InstrumentDetector TypeField of view
(arcmin)		 Energy Resolution
(eV FHWM @ 6keV)		Bandpass
(keV)
X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer (XMS)Transition edge sensor/bolometer array 2.3 × 2.3
(goal of 3 × 3)		3
(goal of 2.5)		0.3—12
Wide Field Imager (WFI)DePFET Active Pixel Sensor24 × 24
(goal of 28 × 28)		 150
(goal of 125)		0.1—15
Images of the payload

Left: X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer (XMS); right: Wide Field Imager (WFI).

Usefull Links

Athena Yellow Book

IXO/Athena at ESA

First Athena Science Workshop at MPE

WFI and XMS Response Matrices