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Correcting Energy Estimation Errors Due to Finite Sampling of Transition-Edge Sensor Data

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Abstract

We are developing transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters for the X-ray integral field unit (X-IFU) on-board ESA’s Athena space telescope. These detectors will be read out using time-domain multiplexing. Due to the limitations on bandwidth and dynamic range of the readout, the optimally filtered pulse heights of the measured X-ray signals suffer from a nonlinear variation with the exact photon arrival time relative to the sampling points. The shape and magnitude of this variation depend on the photon energy. We describe a method to characterize this energy-dependent variation with few parameters, which can then be interpolated to correct event energies across the whole spectrum. We implement our method on measurements from 200 pixels in a prototype X-IFU kilo-pixel array readout using 8-column × 32-row TDM. We show that the interpolation errors between calibration points, over the energy range 4–12 keV, can be made sufficiently small that they do not adversely impact the measured energy resolution across the full spectral range.

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Availability of data and material

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

Computations were performed using custom code.

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Acknowledgements

Part of this work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Funding

Part of this work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA

    M. C. Witthoeft, J. S. Adams, S. R. Bandler, S. Beaumont, J. A. Chervenak, F. M. Finkbeiner, R. L. Kelley, C. A. Kilbourne, A. R. Miniussi, F. S. Porter, K. Sakai, S. J. Smith, N. A. Wakeham & E. J. Wassell

  2. ADNET Systems, Inc, Bethesda, MD, USA

    M. C. Witthoeft

  3. Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    J. S. Adams, S. Beaumont, A. R. Miniussi, K. Sakai & N. A. Wakeham

  4. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

    M. E. Eckart

  5. Sigma Space Corp, Lanham, MD, USA

    F. M. Finkbeiner

  6. KBRwyle, Lexington Park, MD, USA

    E. J. Wassell

Authors
  1. M. C. Witthoeft
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  2. J. S. Adams
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  3. S. R. Bandler
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  4. S. Beaumont
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  5. J. A. Chervenak
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  6. M. E. Eckart
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  7. F. M. Finkbeiner
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  8. R. L. Kelley
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  9. C. A. Kilbourne
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  10. A. R. Miniussi
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  11. F. S. Porter
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  12. K. Sakai
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  13. S. J. Smith
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  14. N. A. Wakeham
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  15. E. J. Wassell
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection was performed by SJS, and the analysis was performed by MCW.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. C. Witthoeft.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

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Witthoeft, M.C., Adams, J.S., Bandler, S.R. et al. Correcting Energy Estimation Errors Due to Finite Sampling of Transition-Edge Sensor Data. J Low Temp Phys 209, 1000–1007 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-022-02710-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-022-02710-2

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