The X-ray Integral Field Unit instrument: science, design, performances and status (Conference Presentation)

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) will be the cryogenic X-ray spectro-imager of the ESA Athena space observatory. It will implement a matrix of 3168 superconducting Transition Edge Sensors at 90 mK to provide a very high spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to the energy of 7 keV, across a 5’ large field of view. The X-IFU successfully passed its Preliminary Requirements Review in mid-2019. After providing an overview of the driving science cases, the key requirements, I will present a status on the instrument development.