Related papers: On Relativistic Disk Spectroscopy in Compact Objec…
We report on a new photon-counting detector possessing unprecedented spatial resolution, moderate spectral resolution and high background-rejection capability for 0.1-100 keV X-rays. It consists of an X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) and…
We have developed a simulation-based method of spectral analysis for pile-up affected data of X-ray CCDs without any loss of photon statistics. As effects of the photon pile-up appear as complicated nonlinear detector responses, we employ a…
A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a standard imager in optical region in which the image quality is limited by its pixel size. CCDs also function in X-ray region but with substantial differences in performance. An optical photon generates…
X-ray Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) have been the workhorse for soft X-ray astronomical instruments for the past quarter century. They provide broad energy response, extremely low electronic read noise, and good energy resolution in soft…
X-ray photon-counting detectors (PCDs) are drawing an increasing attention in recent years due to their low noise and energy discrimination capabilities. The energy/spectral dimension associated with PCDs potentially brings great benefits…
In Charge Coupled Device (CCD) detectors the electrons excited upon absorption of a single x-ray photon quickly diffuse and generate charge-spots often larger than pixel dimensions. In the soft x-ray range this phenomenon drastically limits…
The development of Hybrid CMOS Detectors (HCDs) for X-Ray telescope focal planes will place them in con- tention with CCDs on future satellite missions due to their faster frame rates, flexible readout scenarios, lower power consumption,…
The Suzaku observation of LMC X-3 gives the best data to date on the shape of the accretion disk spectrum. This is due to the combination of very low absorbing column density along this line of sight which allows the shape of the disk…
To take advantage of high-resolution optics sensitive to a broad energy range, future X-ray imaging instruments will require thick detectors with small pixels. This pixel aspect ratio affects spectral response in the soft X-ray band, vital…
Compared with the start-of-art energy integration detectors (EIDs), photon-counting detectors (PCDs) with energy discrimination capabilities have demonstrated great potentials in various applications of medical x-ray radiography and…
Future X-ray astrophysics missions will survey large areas of the sky with unparalleled sensitivity, enabled by lightweight, high-resolution optics. These optics inherently produce curved focal surfaces with radii as small as 2 m, requiring…
Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) have been successfully used in several low energy X-ray astronomical satellite over the past two decades. Their high energy resolution and high spatial resolution make them an perfect tool for low energy…
The use of coherent x-ray beams has been greatly developing for the past decades. They are now used by a wide scientific community to study biological materials, phase transitions in crystalline materials, soft matter, magnetism, strained…
Spectral features can arise by reflection of coronal X-rays on a black hole accretion disc. The resulting profile bears various imprints of strong gravitational field acting on the light emitting gas. The observed shape of the reflection…
We have calculated the relativistic reflection component of the X-ray spectra of accretion disks in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our calculations have shown that the spectra can be significantly modified by the motion of the accretion flow…
Relativistic X-ray emission lines from the inner accretion disk around black holes are reviewed. Recent observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton, and Suzaku are revealing these lines to be good…
Skipper Charge-Coupled Devices (skipper-CCDs) are pixelated silicon detectors with deep sub-electron resolution. Their radiation hardness and capability to reconstruct energy deposits with unprecedented precision make them a promising…
The X-ray spectra of the most extreme ultra-luminous X-ray sources -- those with L > 1 E+40 erg/s -- remain something of a mystery. Spectral roll-over in the 5-10 keV band was originally detected in in the deepest XMM-Newton observations of…
Relativistic reflection features are commonly observed in the X-ray spectra of accreting black holes. In the presence of high quality data and with the correct astrophysical model, X-ray reflection spectroscopy can be quite a powerful tool…
We present the first significant detection of relativistic smearing of the X-ray reflection spectrum from the putative accretion disk in the low/hard state of Cyg X-1. The ionization state, and amount of relativistic smearing are…