The BepiColombo Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer: Science goals, instrument performance and operations

Bunce, E.J. and Martindale, A. and Lindsay, S. and Muinonen, K. and Rothery, D.A. and Pearson, J. and McDonnell, I. and Thomas, C. and Thornhill, J. and Tikkanen, T. and Feldman, C. and Huovelin, J. and Korpela, S. and Esko, E. and Lehtolainen, A. and Treis, J. and Majewski, P. and Hilchenbach, M. and Väisänen, T. and Luttinen, A. and Kohout, T. and Penttilä, A. and Bridges, J. and Joy, K.H. and Alcacera-Gil, M.A. and Alibert, G. and Anand, M. and Bannister, N. and Barcelo-Garcia, C. and Bicknell, C. and Blake, O. and Bland, P. and Butcher, G. and Cheney, A. and Christensen, U. and Crawford, T. and Crawford, Ian and Dennerl, K. and Dougherty, M. and Drumm, P. and Fairbend, R. and Genzer, M. and Grande, M. and Hall, G.P. and Hodnett, R. and Houghton, P. and Imber, S. and Kallio, E. and Lara, M.L. and Balado Margeli, A. and Mas-Hesse, M.J. and Maurice, S. and Milan, S. and Millington-Hotze, P. and Nenonen, S. and Nittler, L. and Okada, T. and Ormö, J. and Perez-Mercader, J. and Poyner, R. and Robert, E. and Ross, D. and Pajas-Sanz, M. and Schyns, E. and Seguy, J. and Strüder, L. and Vaudon, N. and Viceira-Martín, J. and Williams, H. and Willingale, D. and Yeoman, T. (2020) The BepiColombo Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer: Science goals, instrument performance and operations. Space Science Reviews 216 (8), ISSN 0038-6308.

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.

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