The Microchannel X-ray Telescope on Board the SVOM Satellite
Abstract
We present the Micro-channel X-ray Telescope (MXT), a new narrow-field (about 1{\deg}) telescope that will be flying on the Sino-French SVOM mission dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst science, scheduled for launch in 2021. MXT is based on square micro pore optics (MPOs), coupled with a low noise CCD. The optics are based on a "Lobster Eye" design, while the CCD is a focal plane detector similar to the type developed for the seven eROSITA telescopes. MXT is a compact and light (<35 kg) telescope with a 1 m focal length, and it will provide an effective area of about 45 cmsq on axis at 1 keV. The MXT PSF is expected to be better than 4.2 arc min (FWHM) ensuring a localization accuracy of the afterglows of the SVOM GRBs to better than 1 arc min (90\% c.l. with no systematics) provided MXT data are collected within 5 minutes after the trigger. The MXT sensitivity will be adequate to detect the afterglows for almost all the SVOM GRBs as well as to perform observations of non-GRB astrophysical objects. These performances are fully adapted to the SVOM science goals, and prove that small and light telescopes can be used for future small X-ray missions.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1507.00204,
title = {The Microchannel X-ray Telescope on Board the SVOM Satellite},
author = {D. Gotz and C. Adami and S. Basa and V. Beckmann and V. Burwitz and R. Chipaux and B. Cordier and P. Evans and O. Godet and R. Goosmann and N. Meidinger and A. Meuris and C. Motch and K. Nandra and P. O'Brien and J. Osborne and E. Perinati and A. Rau and R. Willingale and K. Mercier and F. Gonzalez},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1507.00204},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
6 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of the conference "Swift: 10 years of Discovery", Rome, December 2-5, 2014. To be published by PoS