Arcus: An X-ray Grating Spectroscopy Mission
Abstract
We present the design and scientific motivation for Arcus, an X-ray grating spectrometer mission to be proposed to NASA as a MIDEX in 2016. This mission will observe structure formation at and beyond the edges of clusters and galaxies, feedback from supermassive black holes, the structure of the interstellar medium and the formation and evolution of stars. Key mission design parameters are R~3000 and >700 cm^2 of effective area at the crucial O VII and O VIII lines, with the full bandpass going from ~10-50Å. Arcus will use the silicon pore optics proposed for ESA's Athena mission, paired with off-plane gratings being developed at the University of Iowa and combined with MIT/Lincoln Labs CCDs.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
- Pub Date:
- January 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AAS...22714728S