The Future of X-ray Astronomy
The Puppis A supernova
remnant as seen by the Rosat X-ray Satellite. A 2006 Suzaku
observation discovered a knot rich in silicon, which
Micro-X will target.
The Micro-X mission is a rocket-borne telescope with a new
type of X-ray detector that will revolutionize X-ray
astrophysics and the use of high resolution X-ray
spectroscopy. Our detectors, called Transition-edge Sensor
(TES) Microcalorimeters, measure the energy of a photon by
sensing the small change in temperature when the photon is
absorbed in the TES. With TESs, the combination of high
energy resolution, high efficiency, precise timing, and
potential for true imaging spectroscopy at X-ray energies
is unparalleled by any other technology today. TESs are
being developed for future NASA missions like IXO, and will
open up new frontiers in our ability to study black holes
and strong gravity, dark matter, dark energy, the evolution
of structure formation in our universe and the cycles of
matter and energy.
Micro-X stands to advance the science of spaceborne X-ray
detectors and, with the first flight, the understanding of
the complex Puppis A remnant:
Science of TESs
Science of Puppis A
Micro-X will be a multi-flight program. Future flights may
study a varied set of astrophysical problems, among them
the physics of the cores of clusters of galaxies, and the
physics of accretion, jets, and outflows in neutron stars
and black holes in bright X-ray binaries.
These are the specifications for the Micro-X telescope and
detector:
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Energy resolution
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<4 eV at 1 keV
|
|
Effective area
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300 cm2 at 1 keV
|
|
Half power diameter
|
2.6 arcmin
|
|
Focal length
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2100 mm
|
|
Field of view
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11.8 arcmin
|
|
Detector array
|
128 pixel (quasi-circular)
|
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Pixel size
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600 µm (0.8 arcmin)
|
|
Bandpass
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0.2 - 3.0 keV
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