The AGILE Gamma-Ray Mission
Abstract
AGILE is an ASI space Mission dedicated to high-energy astrophysics. The satellite was launched on April 23, 2007 in a quasi-equatorial low-background orbit. The AGILE instrument is very compact and designed to simultaneously detect and image photons in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV and 18 - 60 keV energy bands with excellent imaging and timing capabilities. AGILE is characterized by an unprecedently large field of view covering 1/5 of the entire sky at energies above 30 MeV. The instrument is completed by an Anticoincidence shield and by a CsI calorimeter that is capable of independent GRB triggering in the energy band 0.35-50 MeV. AGILE carried out satellite testing and the in-orbit calibration during the period May-November, 2007. The AGILE Cycle-1 (open to guest observers) started on Dec. 1, 2007. The first scientific results of AGILE will be overviewed, including the detections of several remarkable blazars, Galactic sources, and GRBs.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #10
- Pub Date:
- March 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008HEAD...10.2805T