Dr Adrian Martindale

I have been at the University of Leicester since 2000 when I arrived as an undergraduate student. Since then I studied for a PhD titled Novel X-ray instrumentation for astronomy during which I studied three technologies to enable scientific observations in Space. One of these low mass microchannel plate optics was developed in collaboration with Photonis SAS into the enabling technology for BepiColombo's Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer now on its way to Mercury. I have been heavily involved in this project since being an undergraduate. I am also working on new technologies for observing charge exchange in the Earth's magnetosphere for the SMILE SXI instrument and am developing a new kind of optic for high resolution astronomy observations at X-ray wavelengths.

In addition to ongoing research programmes I am actively working to develop collaborative links with industry and the University's new hub for space research and commercialisation at Space Park Leicester. As part of this work I am keen to engage with businesses who have novel technologies that can help us deliver our research in major space projects. For instance I am working with Photonis to deliver new technologies for X-ray observations of planetary materials and am working with Oxford Instruments to develop instrumentation to enable scientific observations of the first samples that will be returned to the Earth from Mars. I am always keen to discuss new collaborative opportunities.

Hall, G.P., Martindale, A., Bridges, J., Nittler, L., Bunce, E. The Distribution of Peak-Ring Basins on Mercury and their Correlation with the High-Mg/Si Terrane JGR planets 2021 (accepted in press)

Holt, J.M.C., Martindale, A., Norbury, A.O., Jones, R.E., Bryon, J., Gaubert, F., Vrublevskis, J. A Double Walled Isolator Scanning Electron Microscope for Investigating Mars Samples in Full Biosafety Containment 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held virtually 15-19 March 2021

Bunce, E. J., Martindale, A., et al. The BepiColombo Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer: Science Goals Instrument Performance and Operations Space Science Reviews Volume 216 Issue 8 2020

Huovelin, J., Vainio, R., et al. Solar Intensity X-Ray and Particle Spectrometer SIXS: Instrument Design and First Results. Space Science Reviews Volume 216 Issue 5 article id.94 July 2020

Rothery, D.A. et al. Rationale for BepiColombo Studies of Mercury’s Surface and Composition. Space Sci Rev 216 66 (2020)

Milillo, A. et al. Investigating Mercury’s environment with the two-spacecraft BepiColombo mission. Space Sci Rev 216 66 (2020)

Aslanyan, V. et al. Design and implementation of electron diverters for lobster eye space-based X-ray optics. Review of Scientific Instruments 90 124502 (2019)

Martindale, A. et al. Microchannel plate x-ray optics on the Mercury imaging x-ray spectrometer. Proc. SPIE 10699 id. 106990W 13 pp. (2018).

Feldman, C. et al. Testing and modelling of the SVOM MXT narrow field lobster-eye telescope; Proceedings of the SPIE Volume 10399 id. 103991Q 11 pp. (2017)

Shemar, S., Fraser, G., Heil, L., Hindley, D., Martindale, A., Molyneux, P., Pye, J., Warwick, R., Lamb, A. 'Towards practical autonomous deep-space navigation using X-Ray pulsar timing' EXPERIMENTAL ASTRONOMY 42(2):101-138 01 Oct 2016 (Journal article)

Space Instrumentation (optics detectors instruments for planetary science and astrophysics missions. Current interests in MIXS on BepiColombo SMILE Soft X-ray Instrument and X-ray interferometry)

Scientific exploitation of XRF data from planetary surfaces (e.g. MIXS data from BepiColombo)

Project Supervision

BepiColombo SMILE SXI X-ray interferometry XNAV (navigation using X-ray pulsars)