The BepiColombo Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer: Science Goals, Instrument Performance and Operations

Emma J. Bunce, Adrian Martindale*, Simon Lindsay, Karri Muinonen, David A. Rothery, Jim Pearson, Ivor McDonnell, Chris Thomas, Julian Thornhill, Tuomo Tikkanen, Charly Feldman, Juhani Huovelin, Seppo Korpela, Eero Esko, Arto Lehtolainen, Johannes Treis, Petra Majewski, Martin Hilchenbach, Timo Väisänen, Arto LuttinenTomas Kohout, Antti Penttilä, John Bridges, Katherine H. Joy, Maria Angeles Alcacera-Gil, Guilhem Alibert, Mahesh Anand, Nigel Bannister, Corinne Barcelo-Garcia, Chris Bicknell, Oliver Blake, Phil Bland, Gillian Butcher, Andy Cheney, Ulrich Christensen, Tony Crawford, Ian A. Crawford, Konrad Dennerl, Michele Dougherty, Paul Drumm, Raymond Fairbend, Maria Genzer, Manuel Grande, Graeme P. Hall, Rosie Hodnett, Paul Houghton, Suzanne Imber, Esa Kallio, Maria Luisa Lara, Ana Balado Margeli, Hugo Williams

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer is a highly novel instrument that is designed to map Mercury’s elemental composition from orbit at two angular resolutions. By observing the fluorescence X-rays generated when solar-coronal X-rays and charged particles interact with the surface regolith, MIXS will be able to measure the atomic composition of the upper ∼10-20 μm of Mercury’s surface on the day-side. Through precipitating particles on the night-side, MIXS will also determine the dynamic interaction of the planet’s surface with the surrounding space environment. MIXS is composed of two complementary elements: MIXS-C is a collimated instrument which will achieve global coverage at a similar spatial resolution to that achieved (in the northern hemisphere only – i.e. ∼ 50 – 100 km) by MESSENGER; MIXS-T is the first ever X-ray telescope to be sent to another planet and will, during periods of high solar activity (or intense precipitation of charged particles), reveal the X-ray flux from Mercury at better than 10 km resolution. The design, performance, scientific goals and operations plans of the instrument are discussed, including the initial results from commissioning in space.

Original languageEnglish
Article number126
JournalSpace Science Reviews
Volume216
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
MIXS is dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, the late Professor George Fraser - the driving force behind our instrument. The authors would like to express their deep gratitude to the technical teams in all collaborator institutes who have helped in the development and delivery of MIXS, the BepiColombo project office, the science ground segment and operational ground segment at the European Space Agency, and the industrial consortium who designed and built BepiColombo. Without their commitment and dedication our mission would have been impossible. Particular thanks go to Johannes Benkhoff, Bodo Gramkow, Carsten Scharmberg, Marc Schwetterle, Fabio Giannini, Emmanuel Rouvier, Luigi D’Arcio and Ulrich Heer for their support and good humour during difficult times. The MIXS team also thanks the UK Space Agency Project Management Board (Chaired by Prof. Alan Smith) and Rosemary Young for their support and encouragement through the difficult process of design, build, delivery and early operations. The MIXS team has gratefully received funding from a consortium of agencies across Europe. The UK Space Agency are the lead funding agency, supported by national contributions from our amazing pan-European team and the European Space Agency. UK funding has come from, the science and technology facilities council - STFC (grant numbers: PP/E002056/1; PP/E002412/1; ST/L000776/1; ST/M002101/1; ST/M002187/1; ST/N00339X/1; ST/N000471/1; ST/P001963/1; ST/S002596/1; ST/J000213/1), the United Kingdom Space Agency - UKSA (grant numbers: ST/P000908/1; ST/T001542/1; ST/K003194/1; ST/ L000318/1; ST/M000702/1) and the European Space Agency - ESA (contract numbers: 4000118221/16/ ES/JD; RES-PSS/NR/035-B/200; 20919/07/NF/FG). Images shown in Fig. 4 , Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 are adapted from drawings produced by MagnaParva Ltd. under ESA contract number 20919/07/NL/FG. EJB is supported by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. The DEPFET X-ray detectors were contributed with the support of dedicated Max Planck Society grants by MPG and MPS as well as ESA contract number 4000108312. The Spanish contribution was funded by MEC/MINECO/MICINN grants; AYA2008-03467/ESP, AYA2011-24780, AYA2012-39362-C02-01, ESP2014-59789-P and ESP2015-65712-C5-1-R. Finnish hardware contributions were funded by Tekes (now “Business Finland”) during the era from 2004 to 2019. Research at the University of Helsinki is supported, in part, by the Academy of Finland (grant number 1325805). This research used the ALICE and SPECTRE High Performance Computing Facilities at the University of Leicester.

Funding Information:
The MIXS team has gratefully received funding from a consortium of agencies across Europe. The UK Space Agency are the lead funding agency, supported by national contributions from our amazing pan-European team and the European Space Agency. UK funding has come from, the science and technology facilities council - STFC (grant numbers: PP/E002056/1; PP/E002412/1; ST/L000776/1; ST/M002101/1; ST/M002187/1; ST/N00339X/1; ST/N000471/1; ST/P001963/1; ST/S002596/1; ST/J000213/1), the United Kingdom Space Agency - UKSA (grant numbers: ST/P000908/1; ST/T001542/1; ST/K003194/1; ST/ L000318/1; ST/M000702/1) and the European Space Agency - ESA (contract numbers: 4000118221/16/ ES/JD; RES-PSS/NR/035-B/200; 20919/07/NF/FG). Images shown in Fig. , Fig. and Fig. are adapted from drawings produced by MagnaParva Ltd. under ESA contract number 20919/07/NL/FG. EJB is supported by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. The DEPFET X-ray detectors were contributed with the support of dedicated Max Planck Society grants by MPG and MPS as well as ESA contract number 4000108312. The Spanish contribution was funded by MEC/MINECO/MICINN grants; AYA2008-03467/ESP, AYA2011-24780, AYA2012-39362-C02-01, ESP2014-59789-P and ESP2015-65712-C5-1-R. Finnish hardware contributions were funded by Tekes (now “Business Finland”) during the era from 2004 to 2019. Research at the University of Helsinki is supported, in part, by the Academy of Finland (grant number 1325805).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

Keywords

  • BepiColombo
  • Elemental composition
  • Mercury
  • Surface composition
  • X-ray emission
  • X-ray spectrometry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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