McXtrace - An X-ray ray-trace simulation package

[ Identification | Description | Examples | Input parameters | Links ]

The NuSTAR_1shell Instrument

Single shell model of the NuSTAR-optic in use as telescope.

Identification

• Site: AstroX_NASA
• Author: Erik B Knudsen & Desiree D. M. Ferreira (email)
• Origin: DTU Physics/DTU Space
• Date: 12/12/2016

Description

A model of the NuSTAR-telescope using just a single shell as optical element.
That means to make use of this instrument
it is necessary to run a series of simulation while varying the input parameter shellnumber.

The model needs as input two geometry files (parabolic_datafile and hyperbolic_datafile), which contains (in ascii) tabled details about the geometry of the shells.
The data in the geomfile is assumed to be in the format:
#row  L/m  rad_h/m  rad_m/m  rad_p/m
...
row: running index for the rows/rings
L: The length of the plates for this ring
rad_h: The radius at the "hyperbolic" end of the optic. At the detector end.
rad_m: The radius at the midpoint of the optic. This is the reference.
rad_p: The radius at the "parabolic" and of the optic. At the source end.

Example: NuSTAR_1shell.instr shellnumber=1

Examples

(Test cases in bold)

Input parameters

Parameters in boldface are required; the others are optional.

Name	Unit	Description	Default
FL	m	The focal length of the optical system	10.12
FLd	m	The distance from the optics centre to the detector. If 0 the detector is placed at the focal plane.	0
optics_dist	m	The distance between souce and optic. In space this would be quite large :-).	10
offaxis_angle	arcmin	Angle of collimated light from source	0
drx	arcsec	Rotation of shell along X	0
dry	arcsec	Rotation of shell along Y	0
drz	arcsec	Rotation of shell along Z	0
reflectivity		Data file containing reflectivities (such as from IMD)	"mirror_coating_unity.txt"
E0	keV	Central energy of X-rays	5
dE	keV	Half spread of energy spectrum to be emitted from source	0.001
shellnumber		The row number for the miror module. This defines the shell.	0
parabolic_datafile		File which contains the geometry of the parabolic (primary) mirrors. (i.e. radii,lengths)	"om_con_1a_110901_t1.txt"
hyperbolic_datafile		File which contains the geometry of the hyperbolic (secondary) mirrors. (i.e. radii,lengths)	"om_con_3a_110901_t1.txt"

Links

• Source code for NuSTAR_1shell.instr.
• The ATHENA web pages @ ESA

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[ Identification | Description | Examples | Input parameters | Links ]

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Last Modified: Monday, 02-Nov-2026 22:21:09 CET