SVOM/VT: Flight Model Verification and Pre-launch Testing

Abstract

This paper presents pre-launch testing and calibration results for the SVOM/VT (Space-based Variable Objects Monitor, Visible Telescope) Flight Model (FM), validating its performance under simulated space conditions through thermal vacuum cycling, energy concentration analysis, stray light suppression, and CCD/electronics calibrations (gain, noise, quantum efficiency). The results confirm full compliance with design requirements: stray light suppression achieves point-source transmittance $<10^{-7}$ at $30^{\circ }$ off-axis, thermal control maintains stable CCD temperatures ($-75^{\circ }$C for the red channel, $-65^{\circ }$C for the blue channel), and detection sensitivity meets the limiting magnitude of 22.50 (SNR $>$ 3 with 300 seconds exposure). Early in-orbit tests further validate performance, yielding limiting magnitudes of 22.70 (V-band, red) and 22.78 (blue), consistent with pre-launch specifications.

Accepted for publication in the SVOM special issue in Reaearch in Astronomy and Astrophysics: 16pages, 14 figures, 3 tables