Concept for a near-term low-energy X-ray Spectroscopy and timing mission (XSPECT)
Abstract
In the aftermath of India's first multiwavelength astronomy mission, a small payload (XSPECT) is proposed to address complementary timing and spectroscopy at low-energy X-rays. The proposed detector achieves modest effective area without the use of focusing optics using the new large area Swept Charge Devices (SCDs; CCD-236) which are a variant of X-ray CCDs. SCDs permit fast readouts (10-100 kHz) and moderately good spectral resolution at the cost of a position sensitivity. These devices are unique in requiring very benign cooling requirement (uses only passive cooling) unlike traditional X-ray CCDs. XSPECT with a passive collimator of 1 deg × 1 deg field-of-view, is ideally suited to pursue soft x-ray timing studies, complementary to what LAXPC does at high energies on ASTROSAT while simultaneously providing good resolution spectrum in the 1-20 keV band. Key science objectives include understanding long-term behaviour of x-ray sources through correlation of timing characteristics with spectral state changes and emission line variations. Alongside an x-ray polarimeter, this can provide a near-complete system to address photon energy, timing and polarization simultaneously. The details of realization of such a payload for launch within a two-year period will be discussed.
- Publication:
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Astronomical Society of India Conference Series
- Pub Date:
- 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013ASInC...9...96S