Ground Calibration of the BlackCAT CubeSat X-Ray Coded Aperture Telescope

Joseph M. Colosimo, Abraham D. Falcone, Mitchell Wages, Timothy Emeigh, Lukas R. Stone, David M. Palmer, Zachary Catlin, Kadri M. Nizam, Md Arman Hossen, Michael Betts, William A. Bevidas, Brynn Bortree, Jacob C. Buffington, David Nelson Burrows, Thomas Forstmeier, Derek B. Fox, Killian M. Gremling, Collin Reichard, Ana C. Scigliani, Anthony J. TavanaIan Thornton, Daniel Washington, Michael E. Zugger

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

BlackCAT is a NASA-funded 6U CubeSat mission planned to be launch-ready in 2025. BlackCAT will use its wide field-of-view and arcminute-scale localization to identify gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), gravitational-wave counterparts, and other high-energy transient events. The mission will send rapid alerts after detection of a transient event, enabling prompt follow-up from other ground- and space-based observatories. The science instrument is a coded aperture telescope, using a focal plane with four Speedster-EXD550 event-driven X-ray hybrid CMOS detectors (HCDs) and a gold-plated nickel coded mask to localize source positions. We describe methods for the calibration of the detectors and the assembled coded-aperture instrument. We also briefly discuss plans for in-flight commissioning and calibration.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024
Subtitle of host publicationUltraviolet to Gamma Ray
EditorsJan-Willem A. den Herder, Shouleh Nikzad, Kazuhiro Nakazawa
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510675094
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray - Yokohama, Japan
Duration: Jun 16 2024Jun 21 2024

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume13093
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Country/TerritoryJapan
CityYokohama
Period6/16/246/21/24

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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