XEUS-the X-ray evolving universe spectroscopy mission
Abstract
XEUS is under study by ESA as part of the Horizon 2000+ program to utilize the International Space Station (ISS) for astronomical applications. XEUS will be a long-term X-ray observatory with an initial mirror area of 6 m2 at 1 keV that will be grown to 30 m2 following a visit to the ISS. The 1 keV spatial resolution is expected to be 2-5'' HEW. XEUS will consist of separate detector and mirror spacecraft aligned by active control to provide a focal length of 50 m. A new detector spacecraft, complete with the next generation of instruments, will also be added after visiting the ISS. The limiting sensitivity will then be ~4×10-18 erg cm-2 s-1 around 250 times better than XMM. The properties of a 350 eV (rest-frame) equivalent width Fe line from a 1044 erg s-1 AGN will be measurable out to z=10, paving the way for detailed spectroscopic X-ray studies of some of the earliest known objects. .
- Publication:
-
X-ray Astronomy: Stellar Endpoints, AGN, and the Diffuse X-ray Background
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1434756
- Bibcode:
- 2001AIPC..599..842P
- Keywords:
-
- 98.70.Qy;
- 95.55.Qf;
- 98.62.Js;
- 95.45.+i;
- X-ray sources;
- X-ray bursts;
- Photometric polarimetric and spectroscopic instrumentation;
- Galactic nuclei circumnuclear matter and bulges;
- Observatories and site testing;
- X-ray sources (astronomical);
- X-ray spectroscopy;
- astronomical observatories;
- space vehicles;
- X-ray detection