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The structural design and thermo-mechanical performance of the FXT for the EP mission

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Abstract

The Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT) is one of the key payloads onboard EP. It is a Wolter-I type X-ray focusing telescope equipped with two telescope modules (focal length 1.6 m), with a total effective area of ~ 600 cm2 at 1.25 keV and an energy range of 0.3–10 keV. FXT is mainly composed of an X-ray focusing mirror assembly (MA) and a camera assembly with a PNCCD detector module. The two FXT modules are completely independent from each other, thus avoiding a single point failure. We completed the internal composites of FXT structural design, which meets the function and performance requirements of mechanical, thermal, contamination control and X-ray optics. The FXT passed successfully the mechanical, thermal qualification level tests on the spacecraft platform in the phase C.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are not openly available due to the intellectual property belonged to the partners and are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data has been stored in the server cluster in the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program on Space Science, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. XDA1531010301.

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Correspondence to Juan Wang.

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Wang, J., Eder, J., Ma, J. et al. The structural design and thermo-mechanical performance of the FXT for the EP mission. Exp Astron 55, 639–659 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-023-09889-6

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