Enhanced simulations on the Athena/Wide Field Imager instrumental background

The Wide Field Imager (WFI) is one of two focal plane instruments of the Advanced Telescope for High-Energy Astrophysics (Athena), ESA’s next large x-ray observatory, planned for launch in the early 2030s. The current baseline halo orbit is around L2, and the second Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth system L1 is under consideration. For both potential halo orbits, the radiation environment, solar and cosmic protons, electrons, and He-ions will affect the performance of the instruments. A further critical contribution to the instrument background arises from the unfocused cosmic hard x-ray background. It is important to understand and estimate the expected instrumental background and to investigate measures, such as design modifications or analysis methods, which could improve the expected background level to achieve the challenging scientific requirement (−3 counts  /  cm2  /  keV  /  s at 2 to 7 keV). Previous WFI background simulations done in Geant4 have been improved by taking into account new information about the proton flux at L2. In addition, the simulation model of the WFI instrument and its surroundings employed in Geant4 simulations has been refined to follow the technological development of the WFI camera

The eROSITA X-ray telescope on SRG

eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) is the primary instrument on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, which was successfully launched on July 13, 2019, from the Baikonour cosmodrome. After the commissioning of the instrument and a subsequent calibration and performance verification phase, eROSITA started a survey of the entire sky on December 13, 2019. By the end of 2023, eight complete scans of the celestial sphere will have been performed, each lasting six months. At the end of this program, the eROSITA all-sky survey in the soft X-ray band (0.2-2.3 keV) will be about 25 times more sensitive than the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, while in the hard band (2.3-8 keV) it will provide the first ever true imaging survey of the sky. The eROSITA design driving science is the detection of large samples of galaxy clusters up to redshifts z > 1 in order to study the large-scale structure of the universe and test cosmological models including Dark Energy. In addition, eROSITA is expected to yield a sample of a few million AGNs, including obscured objects, revolutionizing our view of the evolution of supermassive black holes. The survey will also provide new insights into a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including X-ray binaries, active stars, and diffuse emission within the Galaxy. Results from early observations, some of which are presented here, confirm that the performance of the instrument is able to fulfil its scientific promise. With this paper, we aim to give a concise description of the instrument, its performance as measured on ground, its operation in space, and also the first results from in-orbit measurements

Structural analysis of Athena WFI Large Detector Array

The WFI instrument is designed for high-resolution X-ray imaging and spectroscopy with a large field of view. A movable mirror focuses the X-rays onto the focal plane detectors of the WFI. For design development of the instrument, structural analysis is performed from early project phases. The WFI project has entered phase B and the preliminary design is evolving towards a more detailed design including interface definitions. The focal plane of WFI consists of two detectors: Large Detector Array (LDA) and Fast Detector (FD). The LDA assembly is used for main observation modes, whereas FD is for very bright point sources. The complexity of the LDA design is due to the fact that it has to be compliant to contradictory requirements. Its sensors have to be thermally decoupled from the structure, but with a high stiffness to avoid relative displacement and deformation of sensitive components, e.g. bond wires. The LDA has an active area that is as large as ≈14x14 cm2 but the thermal gradient across it shall be below 2.5-3K. The LDA is optimized with respect to mechanical requirements for launch loads and operational conditions in space. In order to minimize mass while withstanding thermo-mechanical, static and dynamic loads, various design studies have been carried out. With the aim to develop a design, which meets all structural and functional requirements, various structural analyses are performed. In this paper, the structural design studies and the preliminary analysis results of the WFI Large Detector Array are presente

eROSITA camera array on the SRG satellite

The Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma satellite with the extended roentgen survey with an imaging telescope array (eROSITA) x-ray telescope as scientific payload was successfully launched on July 13, 2019 and deployed in a 6-month halo orbit around the second Lagrange point of the Sun–Earth system. The telescope comprises an array of seven mirror systems with seven focal plane cameras. The spectroscopic CCD cameras are a further development of the very successful EPIC-PN camera on the XMM-Newton satellite, which is still operating after more than 20 years in space. The key component of the camera is the detector, which matches the large field of view of 1 deg to permit an all-sky survey in the energy range from 0.2 to 8 keV with state-of-the-art energy resolution. The image area of the PN-junction charge coupled device comprises 384  ×  384  pixels. The pixel size of 75  ×  75  μm2 each matches the angular resolution of the mirror system. Readout of the full frame is achieved in 9.18 ms but for thermal and onboard event preprocessing reasons, the time resolution is slowed down to 50 ms. The photon entrance window of five of the seven CCDs is equipped with an optical blocking filter, which proved to be advantageous. The improved concept and design of the eROSITA cameras will be explained as well as their operation and performance in space

The eROSITA camera array on the SRG satellite

The SRG satellite with the eROSITA X-ray telescope as scientific payload was successfully launched on July 13, 2019 and deployed in a 6-month halo orbit around the second Lagrange point of the Sun Earth system. The telescope comprises an array of seven mirror systems with seven focal plane cameras. The spectroscopic CCD cameras are a further development of the very successful EPIC PN camera on the XMM-Newton satellite, which is after 20 years in space still successfully operating. Key component of the camera is the detector, which matches the large field of view of 1° to permit an all-sky survey in the energy range from 0.2 keV to 8 keV with state-of-the-art energy resolution. The image area of the PNCCD comprises 384 x 384 pixels. Their size of 75 x 75 μm2 each, matches the angular resolution of the mirror system. Readout of the full frame is achieved in 9.18 ms but for thermal and onboard event pre-processing reasons, the time resolution is slowed down to 50 ms. The photon entrance window of five of the seven CCDs is equipped with an optical blocking filter, which turned out to be advantageous. The improved concept and design of the eROSITA cameras will be explained as well as their operation and performance in space

Effect of empagliflozin on ketone bodies in patients with stable chronic heart failure

Background!#!Recent studies indicated that sodium glucose cotransporter (SGLT)2 inhibition increases levels of ketone bodies in the blood in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. Other studies suggested that in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), increased myocardial oxygen demand can be provided by ketone bodies as a fuel substrate. Experimental studies reported that ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) may increase blood pressure (BP) by impairing endothelium-dependant relaxation, thereby leading to increased vascular stiffness. In our study we assessed whether the SGLT 2 inhibition with empagliflozin increases ketone bodies in patients with stable CHF and whether such an increase impairs BP and vascular function.!##!Methods!#!In a prospective, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel-group single centre study 75 patients with CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction 39.0 ± 8.2%) were randomised (2:1) to the SGLT-2 inhibitor empagliflozin 10 mg orally once daily or to placebo, 72 patients completed the study. After a run-in phase we evaluated at baseline BP by 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring, vascular stiffness parameters by the SphygmoCor system (AtCor Medical, Sydney, NSW, Australia) and fasting metabolic parameters, including β-OHB by an enzymatic assay (Beckman Coulter DxC 700 AU). The same measurements were repeated 12 weeks after treatment. In 19 of the 72 patients serum levels of β-OHB were beneath the lower border of our assay (< 0.05 mmol/l) therefore being excluded from the subsequent analysis.!##!Results!#!In patients with stable CHF, treatment with empagliflozin (n = 36) was followed by an increase of β-OHB by 33.39% (p = 0.017), reduction in 24 h systolic (p = 0.038) and diastolic (p = 0.085) ABP, weight loss (p = 0.003) and decrease of central systolic BP (p = 0.008) and central pulse pressure (p = 0.008). The increase in β-OHB was related to an attenuated decrease of empagliflozin-induced 24 h systolic (r = 0.321, p = 0.069) and diastolic (r = 0.516, p = 0.002) ABP and less reduction of central systolic BP (r = 0.470, p = 0.009) and central pulse pressure (r = 0.391, p = 0.033). No significant changes were seen in any of these parameters after 12 weeks of treatment in the placebo group (n = 17).!##!Conclusion!#!In patients with stable CHF ketone bodies as assessed by β-OHB increased after treatment with empagliflozin. This increase led to an attenuation of the beneficial effects of empagliflozin on BP and vascular parameters. Trial registration The study was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03128528)