Related papers: High Time Resolution Astrophysics in the Extremely…
Transmission spectra probe the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets, but these observations are also subject to signals introduced by magnetic active regions on host stars. Here we outline scientific opportunities in the next decade for…
XEUS has been recently selected by ESA for an assessment study. XEUS is a large mission candidate for the Cosmic Vision program, aiming for a launch date as early as 2018. XEUS is a follow-on to ESA's Cornerstone X-Ray Spectroscopy Mission…
High energy gamma-ray astronomy is a newly emerging and very successful branch of astronomy and astrophysics. Exciting results have been obtained by the current generation Cherenkov telescope systems such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS and…
The ultra-high contrast capability required to form images of other solar systems is arguably the highest-profile challenge in astronomy today. The current high-contrast imaging efforts all require background subtraction to separate the…
Observations of stellar surfaces - except for the Sun - are hampered by their tiny angular extent, while observed spectral lines are smeared by averaging over the stellar surface, and by stellar rotation. Exoplanet transits can be used to…
Microcalorimeters have demonstrated success in delivering high spectral resolution, and have paved the path to revolutionary new science possibilities in the coming decade of X-ray astronomy. There are several research areas in compact…
High energy gamma-ray astronomy has recently made significant progresss through ground-based instruments like the {\it H.E.S.S.} array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The unprecedented angular resolution and the large field of…
LOFT, the Large Observatory For X-ray Timing, is one of five ESA M3 candidate missions. It will address the Cosmic Vision theme: "Matter under Extreme Conditions". By coupling for the first time a huge collecting area for the detection of…
The High Energy Spectroscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is pursuing a rich observational program in astroparticle physics. The latest results from H.E.S.S. on the search for dark matter towards the Galactic Center and dwarf galaxies, the test of…
High-time-resolution X-ray observations of compact objects provide direct access to strong field gravity, black hole masses and spins, and the equation of state of ultra-dense matter. LOFT, the large observatory for X-ray timing, is…
High-energy phenomena in the cosmos, and in particular processes leading to the emission of gamma- rays in the energy range 10 MeV - 100 GeV, play a very special role in the understanding of our Universe. This energy range is indeed…
HEX-P will launch at a time when the sky is being routinely scanned for transient gravitational wave, electromagnetic and neutrino phenomena that will require the capabilities of a sensitive, broadband X-ray telescope for follow up studies.…
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has recently published the first horizon-scale images of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sgr A* and provided some first information on the physical conditions in their vicinity. The…
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is planned to be the next generation ground based observatory for very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy. Gamma-rays provide a powerful insight into the non-thermal universe and hopefully a unique…
Ultra-High-Resolution (UHR) imagery has become essential for modern remote sensing, offering unprecedented spatial coverage. However, detecting small objects in such vast scenes presents a critical dilemma: retaining the original resolution…
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will open a discovery frontier for faint and fast transients with its ability to detect variable flux components down to $\sim$24.5 mag in a $\sim$30 second exposure. Spectroscopic follow-up of…
Several types of binary systems have been detected up to now at high and very high gamma-ray energies, including microquasars, young pulsars around massive stars and colliding wind binaries. The study of the sources already known, and of…
Originally developed to image the shadow region of the central black hole in Sagittarius A* and in the nearby galaxy M87, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provides deep, very high angular resolution data on other AGN sources too. The…
In the last decade, the Kepler and CoRoT space-photometry missions have demonstrated the potential of asteroseismology as a novel, versatile and powerful tool to perform exquisite tests of stellar physics, and to enable precise and accurate…
The ELTI concept capitalizes on recent breakthroughs in large-format SPAD (Single-Photon Avalanche Diode) imaging sensors, combining them with the unprecedented collecting area and segmented architecture of the ELT to deliver a…