مقاله XIPE: the X-ray imaging polarimetry explorer : تی پی بین

خلاصه مقاله

X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a small mission with a launch in 2017. The proposal was, unfortunately, not selected. To be compliant with this schedule, we designed the payload mostly with existing items. The XIPE proposal takes advantage of the completed phase A of POLARIX for an ASI small mission program that was cancelled, but is different in many aspects: the detectors, the presence of a solar flare polarimeter and photometer and the use of a light platform derived by a mass production for a cluster of satellites. XIPE is composed of two out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD) filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus. Two additional GPDs filled with a 3-bar Ar-DME mixture always face the Sun to detect polarization from solar flares. The Minimum Detectable Polarization of a 1 mCrab source reaches 14 % in the 2–10 keV band in 10⁵ s for pointed observations, and 0.6 % for an X10 class solar flare in the 15–35 keV energy band. The imaging capability is 24 arcsec Half Energy Width (HEW) in a Field of View of 14.7 arcmin × 14.7 arcmin. The spectral resolution is 20 % at 6 keV and the time resolution is 8 μs. The imaging capabilities of the JET-X optics and of the GPD have been demonstrated by a recent calibration campaign at PANTER X-ray test facility of the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE, Germany). XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE (Brazil). The data policy is organized with a Core Program that comprises three months of Science Verification Phase and 25 % of net observing time in the following 2 years. A competitive Guest Observer program covers the remaining 75 % of the net observing time.

نویسندگان

Paolo Soffitta [ IAPS/INAF, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy ]

Xavier Barcons [ Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC), Avenida de los Castros, s/n, 39005, Santander Cantabria, Spain ]

Ronaldo Bellazzini [ INFN-Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy ]

João Braga [ INPE Div de Astrofsica, Av dos Astronautas 1758 Jd. Granja - CEP: 12227-010, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil ]

Enrico Costa [ IAPS/INAF, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy ]

کلمات کلیدی

Astronomy X ray Polarimetry

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Experimental Astronomy 2013

Many new instruments for observing astronomical objects at a variety of wavelengths have been and are continually being developed. Consequently, a vast amount of effort is being put into new data analysis techniques to cope with rivers of data collected by these instruments.Experimental Astronomy is a medium for the publication of papers of contemporary scientific interest on astrophysical instrumentation and methods necessary for the conduct of astronomy at all wavelength fields.Experimental Astronomy publishes full-length articles, research letters and reviews on developments in detection techniques, instruments, and data analysis and image processing techniques. Occasional special issues are published, giving an in-depth presentation of the instrumentation and/or analysis connected with specific projects, such as satellite experiments or ground-based telescopes, or of specialized techniques.Commonly used title abbreviations: Exp. Astron., Exp Astron, ExA

حوزه های تحت پوشش : Astronomy, Observations and Techniques, Statistics for Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Earth Sciences