Testing ATHENA optics: a new measurement standard at the PANTER x-ray test facility

The European Space Agency ATHENA mission is an x-ray observatory that will study the formation of galaxy clusters and the growth of black holes. Due for launch in early 2030s, with adoption planned for 2021, ATHENA will use silicon pore optic mirror modules to create a 2.6 m diameter x-ray mirror. The PANTER x-ray test facility has over 40 years of experience in testing and calibrating x-ray optics. PANTER plays a key part in testing developments of silicon pore optics, manufactured by Cosine Measurement Systems, for the ATHENA mission. This year, as part of these developments, PANTER has measured an x-ray optic unit comprising two mandrels, manufactured by Zeiss. This optic was produced as a standard against which the performance of both silicon pore optics and the PANTER facility setup for silicon pore optics was measured. The first confocal mirror module measured at PANTER was entered into an environmental program, to determine whether particulate contamination causes loss of effective area. The contamination and the pre- and post-contamination effective area measurements were carried out at PANTER. The paper will provide an overview of the most recent testing carried out at PANTER, and the performance of the ATHENA optics tested to date.