钱德拉X射线天文台(Chandra X-ray Observatory)
编译:Shea


    钱德拉X射线天文台是美国爱因斯坦天文台的后继者。钱德拉X射线天文台先前的名字是AXAF,即高新X射线天体物理设备(Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility)的缩写,但是在1998年12月NASA将其改命名为钱德拉X射线天文台。起初,3台设备和一块高分辨率镜片装在同一个探测器里,在1992和1993年此计划有所改变。

              

    钱德拉X射线天文台于1999年7月23日由哥伦比亚号航天飞机成功发射。钱德拉上搭载了一块高分辨率镜片,两个成像探测器,以及两组透射光栅。

系集高分辨率镜片(High Resolution Mirror Assembly,HRMA)
光学类型 沃尔特1型(Wolter Type-I)
镜面镀膜
镜片外径(1, 3, 4, 6) 1.23, 0.99, 0.87, 0.65 m
镜片长度 84 cm
焦距 10.066 m
底片比例尺 48.8 μm/arcsec
点扩散函数半峰全宽 0.5"
有效面积:
     @ 0.25 keV 800 cm2
     @ 5.0 keV 400 cm2
     @ 8.0 keV 100 cm2

高新CCD成像分光仪(Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer,ACIS)
焦平面组:
I组(ACIS-I) 4块CCD与焦平面相切,用于成像
S组(ACIS-S) 6块CCD线性排列与罗兰光栅环相切,用于成像或者光栅读出
CCD 1024×1024像素
像素大小 24.0 μm (0.492 ± 0.0001 arcsec)
ACIS-I组大小 16.9×16.9'
ACIS-S array size 8.3×50.6'
前端照亮芯片轴线有效区:
@ 0.5 keV 110 cm2
@ 1.5 keV 600 cm2
@ 8.0 keV 40 cm2

高分辨率照相机(High Resolution Camera,HRC)
焦平面组:
HRC-I CsI镀膜微通道底片对,90×90 mm
HRC-S CsI镀膜微通道底片对,3-100×20 mm
视场 HRC-I :~ 30×30'
HRC-S:6×90'
空间分辨率, 半峰全宽 ~ 20 μm, ~ 0.4 "
能量范围 0.08 - 10.0 keV
光谱分辨率(E/ΔE) ~ 1 @ 1 keV
时间分辨率 16 μs

高能透射光栅(High Energy Transmission Grating,HETG)
HETG范围 0.4 - 10.0 keV (31 - 1.2埃)
    高能光栅范围 0.8 - 10.0 keV (15 - 1.2
    中能光栅范围 0.4 - 5.0 keV (31 - 2.5
有效面积:
    @ 0.5 keV 7 cm2
    @ 1.0 keV 59 cm2
    @ 1.5 keV 200 cm2
    @ 6.5 keV 28 cm2

低能透射光栅(Low Energy Transmission Grating,LETG)
波长范围 1.7 - 170(HRC-S)
1.4 - 63(ACIS-S)
能量范围 0.07 - 7.29 keV (HRC-S)
0.20 - 8.86 keV (ACIS-S)
有效面积 1 - 2 cm2 (125 - 170
3 - 7 cm2 (60 - 120
7 - 12 cm2 (44 - 60
4 - 8 cm2 (19 - 40
10 - 25 cm2 (6 - 18
3 - 5 cm2 (2 - 5

    钱德拉X射线天文台具有高空间分辨率、高灵敏度(0.1-10 keV)以及高光谱分辨率等特点。同时,钱德拉X射线天文台的远地椭圆轨道使它对同一目标有超过48小时的连续观测时间。

    钱德拉X射线天文台的主镜由4对嵌套反射镜组成,以沃尔特1型几何排布。它的高能响应能力得益于这些镜片使用了较小的反射角,而且使用铱镀膜。其具有0.5"的分辨率。高分辨率、大视场以及对高能X射线的灵敏度使得钱德拉对极微弱的X射线源的研究成为可能。

    在焦平面上有两台仪器。一台是高分辨率照相机(High Resolution Camera,HRC)。它用于高分辨率成像,高速测量以及两者的结合。另一台是高新CCD成像分光仪(Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer,ACIS),它是一个CCD组。这些小探测器组成一个2维组可同时用于成像和分光。另外,钱德拉X射线天文台上还有2台透射光栅分光仪,由镜片后的金制光栅组成。其中一个用于低能情况,另一个测用于高能情况。光谱分辨本领100-2000。

X射线望远镜主镜
探测器名 爱因斯坦 EXOSAT ROSAT BBXRT/ASCA 钱德拉 XMM
直径 58 cm 28 cm 83 cm 40 cm 1.2 m 70 cm
镜片(嵌套数) 4 2 4 118 4 58
面积(cm2350 80 1140 1400 1100 6000
焦距(m) 3.45 1.09 2.4 3.8 10 7.5
镀膜 Ni Au Au Au Ir Au
可探测最高能量(keV) 5 2 2 12 10 10
轴线分辨率(") 4 18 4 75 0.5 20

钱德拉X射线天文台的科学发现


1.钱德拉发现类银河系周围的炽热气体晕
这张照片显示了旋涡星系NGC 4631的中心区域。
[详细内容](19 Jul 01)

 


2. 钱德拉X射线天文台两周年
[详细内容](23 Jul 01)
 

 

 


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