The Marshall 100-meter x-ray beamline: usage and capability update

The Marshall 100-Meter x-ray Beamline user facility provides x-ray optics and instrumentation calibration access to the general high-energy astrophysical community. Also known as the Stray Light Test Facility, the Marshall-100 is located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. This high-vacuum capability facility is comprised of a 93-meter long, 1.3-meter diameter beam-tube which terminates into an 8-meter long, 3-meter instrument chamber. A bellhousing extension chamber connects to the instrument chamber though a gate valve, allowing for rapid testing of smaller articles without re-pressing the facility. The beamline’s x-ray sources and detectors accommodate a broad bandpass of 0.28 to 110 keV. New capabilities include a sounding rocket vacuum section which directly mates to the beamline using a custom flange for full integrated payload calibration. Recent missions tested at the Marshall-100 include FOXSI-5, MiXO, MaGIXS, and Marshall’s own high angular resolution x-ray optic development program. Testing support is also provided for both internal and external R and D projects. Facility time is available to projects by proposing through NASA’s Astronomy and Physics Research and Analysis (APRA) program with additional mission support provided by x-ray group and facility staff.