cosine will be present at the 3rd Scientific Conference on Athena, to be held from 7-10 November 2022 at CosmoCaixa in Barcelona. The topic of this conference is the European Space Agency’s Athena mission, the large next-generation X-ray telescope.
“Exploring the Hot and Energetic Universe: the third scientific conference dedicated to the Athena X-ray Observatory” will discuss many topics ranging from Athena’s mission status, to technology development, the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes and physics of black hole accretion.
The conference will serve as a platform to show that Athena will provide cutting-edge science in the 2030s, by itself and in synergy with the other facilities that will be available in that exciting period.
cosine is directly involved in the Athena mission, as we will provide Silicon Pore Optics (SPO), a revolutionary type of lightweight X-ray lens, for the Athena telescope. Our novel technology produces the building blocks for Athena’s modular telescope, enabling the production of the largest X-ray optic flown to date with about 300 m2 of polished mirror area.
On Thursday 10 November at 11:50 Dr Laurens Keek will present about SPO applications beyond Athena, showcasing the versatility of this next-generationX-ray optics technology.
About Athena, SPO and cosine
ESA’s X-ray observatory mission Athena is selected within its Cosmic Vision program. Its goal is to address the Hot and Energetic Universe scientific theme. Athena will operate in the energy range of 0.2–12 keV and will offer spectroscopic and imaging capabilities vastly exceeding those of currently operating X-ray astronomy satellites, such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton telescope.
Silicon Pore Optics is a revolutionary technology invented by cosine in cooperation with ESA. It involves the bonding and stacking of many silicon wafers, creating a novel type of lightweight X-ray lens. cosine’s High Energy Optics business unit is internationally known for the development and application of X-ray optics and systems. It combines and applies knowledge about semiconductor processes, silicon, glass, and mass production to develop and produce lightweight, high-resolution X-ray optics. Those find applications ranging from space-based astrophysical telescopes to medical, semiconductor, and material analysis systems used by industry and academia.
cosine is a worldwide leader in the development of Silicon Pore Optics. We combine physics and technology to bring out-of-the-box solutions to our clients. Since 1998, we have been developing and delivering innovative measurement systems for space and industrial applications. Our company operates 1.000 m2 of cleanrooms and high-tech assembly facilities to build and test the systems, we produce for customers at our headquarters in Sassenheim, The Netherlands.
