Related papers: The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)
Gamma-ray astronomy is a branch whose potential has not yet been fully exploited. The observations of elemental and isotopic abundances in supernova (SN) explosions are key probes not only of the stellar structure and evolution but also for…
The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (Athena) is the X-ray observatory large mission selected by the European Space Agency (ESA), within its Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme, to address the "Hot and Energetic Universe"…
X-ray observations are limited by the background, due to intrinsic faintness or diffuse nature of the sources. The future Athena X-ray observatory has among its goals the characterization of these sources. We aim at characterizing the…
One of the science goals of the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on ESA's Athena X-ray observatory is to map hot gas structures in the universe, such as clusters and groups of galaxies and the intergalactic medium. These deep observations of faint…
Much of the baryonic matter in the Universe, including the most active and luminous sources, are best studied in the X-ray band. Key advances in X-ray optics and detectors have paved the way for the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS),…
We are entering a new era for high energy astrophysics with the use of new technology to increase our ability to both survey and monitor the sky. The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) instrument on the THESEUS mission will revolutionize transient…
We are building an image slicer integral field unit (IFU) to go on the IMACS wide-field imaging spectrograph on the Magellan Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, the Reformatting Optically-Sensitive IMACS Enhancement IFU, or ROSIE…
The XGIS (X and Gamma Imaging Spectrometer) is one of the three instruments onboard the THESEUS mission (ESA M5, currently in Phase-A). Thanks to its wide field of view and good imaging capabilities, it will efficiently detect and localize…
THESEUS is one of the three missions selected by ESA as fifth medium class mission (M5) candidates in its Cosmic Vision science program, currently under assessment in a phase A study with a planned launch date in 2032. THESEUS is designed…
With new generation spectrographs integral field spectroscopy is becoming a widely used observational technique. The Integral Field Unit of the VIsible Multi-Object Spectrograph on the ESO-VLT allows to sample a field as large as 54" x 54"…
The Wide Field Imager (WFI) flying on Athena will usher in the next era of studying the hot and energetic Universe. WFI observations of faint, diffuse sources will be limited by uncertainty in the background produced by high-energy…
We describe the performance of our latest generations of sensitive wide-band high-resolution digital Fast Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FFTS). Their design, optimized for a wide range of radio astronomical applications, is presented.…
The Arcus Probe mission concept has been submitted as an Astrophysics Probe Explorer candidate. It features two co-aligned high-resolution grating spectrometers: one for the soft x-ray band and one for the far UV. Together, these…
The High Energy X-ray Probe is a proposed NASA probe-class mission that combines the power of high angular resolution with a broad X-ray bandpass to provide the necessary leap in capabilities to address the important astrophysical questions…
The Cryogenic AntiCoincidence Detector (CryoAC) is a key element of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the future ATHENA X-ray observatory. It is a TES-based detector designed to reduce the particle background of the instrument,…
The XIFU X-ray spectrometer instrument on the future Athena mission needs X-ray calibration sources to calibrate the gains of the individual detector pixels. For this purpose, electronically controlled Modulated X-ray Sources (MXS) are…
We report on the development of ARCONS, the ARray Camera for Optical to Near-IR Spectrophotometry. This photon counting integral field unit (IFU), being built at UCSB and Caltech with detectors fabricated at JPL, will use a unique, highly…
The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe by…
The International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) is a pan-European radio interferometer with baselines up to 2,000 km. This provides sub-arcsecond resolution at frequencies of <200 MHz. Since starting science operations in 2012, the ILT has carried…
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…