Related papers: Simulating the WFXT sky
Aims. We present the results from a comprehensive spectroscopic survey of the WINGS (WIde-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey) clusters, a program called WINGS-SPE. The WINGS-SPE sample consists of 48 clusters, 22 of which are in the…
Cluster-scale strong lensing is a powerful tool for exploring the properties of dark matter and constraining cosmological models. However, due to the complex parameter space, pixelized strong lens modeling in galaxy clusters is…
We present the 1SXPS (Swift-XRT Point Source) catalog of 151,524 X-ray point-sources detected by the Swift-XRT in 8 years of operation. The catalog covers 1905 square degrees distributed approximately uniformly on the sky. We analyze the…
The accurate modelling of the Point Spread Function (PSF) is of paramount importance in astronomical observations, as it allows for the correction of distortions and blurring caused by the telescope and atmosphere. PSF modelling is crucial…
The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Fresnel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with $\sim$1 km focal length and with $\sim$50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. VTXO is formed by using…
We explore the cosmological constraints expected from wide area XMM-type cluster surveys covering 50-200 deg2, under realistic observing conditions. We perform a Fisher matrix analysis based on cluster number counts in combination with…
The ingot wavefront sensor (I-WFS) has been proposed, for ELT-like apertures, as a possible pupil plane WFS, to cope with the geometrical characteristics of a laser guide star (LGS). Within the study and development of such a WFS, on-going…
We model the impact of source confusion on photometry and the resulting spectrophotometric redshifts for SPHEREx, a NASA Medium-Class Explorer that is carrying out an all-sky near-infrared spectral survey. Spectral confusion from untargeted…
The StarLight program conceptualizes fast interstellar travel via small wafer satellites (wafersats) that are propelled by directed energy. This process is wildly different from traditional space travel and trades large and slow spacecraft…
Fluctuations in the brightness of the background radiation can lead to confusion with real point sources. Such background emission confusion will be important for infrared observations with relatively large beam sizes since the amount of…
In the currently debated context of using clusters of galaxies as cosmological probes, the need for well-defined cluster samples is critical. The XXL Survey has been specifically designed to provide a well characterised sample of some 500…
Selected by NASA for an Astrophysics Science SmallSat study, The Virtual Telescope for X-Ray Observations (VTXO) is a small satellite mission being developed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and New Mexico State University…
The XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) is a serendipitous search for galaxy clusters using all publicly available data in the XMM-Newton Science Archive. Its main aims are to measure cosmological parameters and trace the evolution of X-ray scaling…
The objective of the XMM-LSS Survey is to map the large scale structure of the universe, as highlighted by clusters and groups of galaxies, out to a redshift of about 1, over a single 8x8 sq.deg. area. For the first time, this will reveal…
Realistic simulations of experiments at large scale photon facilities, such as optical laser laboratories, synchrotrons, and free electron lasers, are of vital importance for the successful preparation, execution, and analysis of these…
The weak-lensing science of the LSST project drives the need to carefully model and separate the instrumental artifacts from the intrinsic lensing signal. The dominant source of the systematics for all ground based telescopes is the spatial…
We present a self-consistent approach to the modeling of X-ray clusters of galaxies in a flat universe. Employing the Press and Schechter (1974) formalism to derive the mass function and relating the observable properties of clusters to…
Groups and clusters of galaxies are a current focus of astronomical research owing to their role in determining the environmental effects on galaxies and the constraints they provide to cosmology. The eROSITA X-ray telescope on board the…
We present the simulator we developed for the Wide Field Monitor (WFM) aboard the Large Observatory For X-ray Timing (LOFT) mission, one of the four ESA M3 candidate missions considered for launch in the 2022-2024 timeframe. The WFM is…
This report describes the 2014 study by the Science Definition Team (SDT) of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission. It is a space observatory that will address the most compelling scientific problems in dark energy,…