Transition Edge Sensors as ultra-sensitive X-ray detectors
Since 2019, I have worked at SRON for an ESA project for the development of Transition Edge Sensors (TES) for an X-ray spectrometer. These TES use the very steep drop in resistance when a normal metal transitions into a superconductor to create extremely sensitive thermometer. They are so sensitive in fact that they can detect the energy of single photons with extreme precision. At the moment, the TES created at SRON are amongst the best in the world.
Development of the Focal Plane Assembly for X-IFU
The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (Athena) is an ESA L-class mission. It is an X-ray observatory to be launched in the late 2030’s. It’s primary instrument is the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU), for which SRON is one of the principal investigators. A major components of X-IFU is the Focal Plane Assembly (FPA) to be developed at SRON. Testing the FPA has to be done in a dedicated cryostat operating at temperatures less than 1/10th of a degree above absolute zero (-273°C) and carefully mimicking the environment that the FPA will experience of the real satellite. I am in charge of developing all (cryogenic) equipment necessary to realize this space simulator to thoroughly test the FPA.
Studying Hot Plasma’s in the Laboratory
Over 99% of all matter in the visible universe is comprised of hot plasma’s. The study of these plasma’s, in particular their X-ray emission, is crucial to gain understanding of the working of the hot and energetic universe. However, the interpretation of these astronomical observations is impossible without sufficient knowledge of the emission lines in the laboratory. For this reason, we have installed one of our TES X-ray spectrometers at an advanced plasma source at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. The combination of this source, a so-called Electon Beam Ion Trap (EBIT), and our spectrometer allows us to study these plasma’s in unprecedented detail.
