Development of Three-Dimensional Hard X-Ray Photoelectric Polarimeter Assembly Using Additive Manufacturing Technology

We propose a three-year effort to advance the additive manufacturing technologies for the Hard X-ray Photoelectric Polarimeter (HXPP) that will simplify the assembly process and has the potential to increase the sensitivity of the instrument. HXPP is being developed under APRA support (“Continued Development of a Hard X-Ray Polarimeter,” Zajczyk, PI) to make observations above 20 keV from a balloon platform or above 10 keV from space, i.e. complementary to the Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Experiment launched Dec. 9, 2021 and which will make observations in the 2-8 keV band. Balloon targets for HXPP are primarily accretion powered pulsars. The brightest targets have spectrally identified cyclotron absorption features at energies of 20 keV; polarization measurements in the line and continuum will distinguish among models of the accretion geometry which cannot be distinguished from timing and spectral measurements alone. This proposal builds on previous internal research and development (IRAD) funded efforts where we have aerosol jet printed (AJP) several Readout Board (ROB) strip patterns that were tested and proven to survive the X-Ray environment. The proposed effort will expand and further investigate these initial findings by attaching readout boards to the ROB strips, and following with environmental and performance tests. AJP offers the possibility of printing on a rigid 3-D surface, which has the potential to be much more robust and easier to fabricate than by using the technique developed for the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS) and Polarimeter for Relativisitic Astrophysical X-ray Sources (PRAXyS). HXPP will be proposed as a balloon experiment and as a candidate instrument for future opportunities following this effort.

The Astrophysics Research and Analysis program (APRA) supports suborbital and suborbital-class investigations, development of detectors and supporting technology, laboratory astrophysics, and limited ground-based observing. Basic research proposals in these areas are solicited for investigations that are relevant to NASA's programs in astronomy and astrophysics, including the entire range of photons, gravitational waves, and particle astrophysics. The emphasis of this solicitation is on technologies and investigations that advance NASA astrophysics missions and goals.

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