Experimental Astronomy

, Volume 18, Issue 1–3, pp 1–11 | Cite as

The X-Ray Facility of the Physics Department of the Ferrara University

  • G. Loffredo
  • F. Frontera
  • D. Pellicciotta
  • A. Pisa
  • V. Carassiti
  • S. Chiozzi
  • F. Evangelisti
  • L. Landi
  • M. Melchiorri
  • S. Squerzanti
Article

Abstract

We will report on the equipment and performance of the X-ray facility of the University of Ferrara. Initially developed to test the PDS (Phoswich Detection System) instrument aboard the BeppoSAX satellite and to perform reflectivity measurements of mosaic crystal samples of HOPG (Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite), with time the facility has been improved and its applications extended. Now these applications include test and calibration of hard X-ray (> 10 keV) detectors, reflectivity measurements of hard X-ray mirrors, reflectivity tests of crystals and X-ray transparency measurements. The facility is being further improved in order to determine the optical axis mosaic crystals in Laue configuration within a project devoted to develop a hard X-ray (> 60 keV) focusing optics (Pisa, A. et al.: in press, Feasibility study of a Laue lens for hard X-rays for space astronomy, SPIE Proc., 5536).

Keywords

astronomy diffractometer instrumentation X-ray 

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Fiore, F. et al.: HEXIT-SAT: A mission concept for x-ray grazing incidence telescopes from 0.5 to 70 keV. SPIE Proc. 5488, 39–48 (2004) (astro-ph/0407647)Google Scholar
  2. Loffredo, G.: The Ferrara X-Ray Facility, Its Applications and Prospects, PhD thesis (2004)Google Scholar
  3. Loffredo, G., et al.: A&A 411, L239 (2003)ADSCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Mills, D.M., King, M.T.: Nucl. Inst. Methods 208, 341 (1983)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Ohler, M., et al.: Nucl. Instr. Methods B129, 257–260 (1997)ADSCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Pellicciotta, D., et al.: IEEE Trans. on Nucl. Sci. (in press)Google Scholar
  7. Pisa, A. et al.: Feasibility study of a Laue lens for hard X-rays for space astronomy. SPIE Proc. 5536, 933–943 (2004) (astro-ph/0411574)Google Scholar
  8. Poulsen, J. M., Verbeni, R., Frontera, F.: Position-sensitive scintillator detector for hard X-rays. Nucl. Instr. Meth. A310, 398–402 (1991)ADSCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Takahashi, T. et al.: Wide band X-ray Imager (WXI) and Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) for the NeXT Mission. PSIE Proc. 5488 (2004) (astro-ph/0410402)Google Scholar
  10. Ubertini, P., et al.: A&A 411, L131 (2004)ADSCrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • G. Loffredo
    • 1
  • F. Frontera
    • 1
    • 3
  • D. Pellicciotta
    • 1
  • A. Pisa
    • 1
  • V. Carassiti
    • 2
  • S. Chiozzi
    • 2
  • F. Evangelisti
    • 2
  • L. Landi
    • 2
  • M. Melchiorri
    • 2
  • S. Squerzanti
    • 2
  1. 1.Physics DepartmentUniversity of FerraraFerraraItaly
  2. 2.Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di FerraraFerraraItaly
  3. 3.IASF, CNRBolognaItaly

Personalised recommendations