High-resolution soft x-ray spectroscopy for constellation X
Abstract
The Constellation-X mission, with 5 to 10 times the collecting area of any previous x-ray observatory, will obtain high-throughput, high resolution spectroscopic observations of x-ray sources ranging from super-massive black holes to the disks around young stars in the 0.25-4.0 keV region of the spectrum. We describe the need for high resolution X-ray spectroscopy on the Constellation-X mission, the various options for obtaining it, and the implementation that we recommend;, e.g. an off-plane grating system that can simultaneously provide spectral resolutions (λ/δλ) as high as 3000 and substantially increased throughput in the 0.2 to 2.0 keV region. As a flagship mission, Constellation-X will be a general purpose facility for the astronomy community. The reflection grating system we describe will enable Constellation-X to address the important questions of the next generation within NASA's current cost target.
- Publication:
-
UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XV
- Pub Date:
- September 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1117/12.735473
- Bibcode:
- 2007SPIE.6686E..12L