Extreme UV-X ray survey satellite (EXUV). Report on the mission definition study

The EXUV waveband from 10 to 1000 angstrom has to date been largely neglected for technical and scientific reasons. A set of instruments to be flown on a free flyer satellite to study this waveband is described. Observations in the EXUV waveband are of great importance for the study of the conditions in the interstellar medium, stellar atmospheres, and stellar evolution. This waveband may be as rich in sources emitting primarily at these wavelengths as the medium energy X-ray region now studied in some detail. The instrument package consisting of two Baez telescopes and a spectrograph will within 1 year provide an unbiased map of the sky to a resolution of approximately 5 arc min. In addition the spectrograph will obtain detailed spectra of new sources in the EUV region from 100 to 1000 angstrom. The proposed experiment payload can be accommodated in a Scout launch spacecraft. The spacecraft design can use conventional technology and no special difficulties are foreseen. The estimated mass of the spacecraft is 129 kg including the 50 kg experiment mass.