Ramatoulie Bah
Shayla R. Brooks
Dana Brown
Linwood Creekmore
Torreon N. Creekmore
Vincent Augustus Davis
Peter Eley
Danielle Graves
Paula Harrell
Golar Newby
Elizabeth Rascoe
Carl W. Seward
Eunice Smith
Rodney Stewart
Nelson Veale
Jordan Williams

Vincent Augustus Davis, Jr.
email: vincent@umfort.cs.ecsu.edu

Mentor: Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano, Ph.D.
Internship: Summer Institute in Engineering and Computer Applications Program, NASA/GSFC, Code 662 X-Ray Astrophysics Branch
Title: Microcalorimeters in Astro-E2 and Constellation-X

The study of astronomical objects at a high energy of X-rays began in the early 1960’s. Until then, scientists and astronomers knew only that the Sun was a concentrated source in this waveband. The Earth’s atmosphere absorbs most X-rays, so rocket flights became necessary. Over the past 35 years, X-ray astronomy has grown and is now a vital tool in the cutting edge of astrophysical research. X-ray observations reveal some of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. They provide probes that can investigate atomic and nuclear processes. This area of astronomy is very important for the study of some of the unanswered questions involving dark matter, black holes, supernovae and other phenomena with high temperatures or explosions. The Laboratory of High Energy Astrophysics (LHEA), of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), is concerned with measuring X-rays from astronomical objects. This will be done with the aid of microcalorimeters. A microcalorimeter is a thermal device that operates by measuring the energy of an X-ray. It consists of an absorber to take in X-ray photons, a thermometer to measure the resulting temperature rise, and a weak link to a low temperature heat sink that provides thermal isolation needed to sense a temperature change. These microcalorimeters will be utilized in two space missions; Astro-E2 and the Constellation-X Observatory. There will be two objectives for this research project. With the aid of Igor Pro Version 4.0, the data analysis section will be to run a program that will fit lines for the X-ray Spectrometer (XRS) detector for Astro-E2. The hardware section calls for a design for a Superconducting Stepper Motor X-ray Shutter that will be part of the Constellation-X test system. This shutter will control the flow of X-ray photons to the detector.