Status of the Balloon-Borne X-ray Polarimetry Mission X-Calibur
Abstract
We report on the status of the balloon borne hard X-ray polairmetry mission X-Calibur. The missions combines a focussing hard X-ray mirror from the InFOCuS collaboration with a scattering polarimeter and the WASP (Wallops Arc Second Pointer) pointing system. The mission is scheduled for a conventonal ~1 day balloon flight in Fall 2016 and a long duration (~30 day) balloon flight from McMurdo (Ross Island) in 2018/2019. X-Calibur will allow us to measure ~5% polarization fractions for strong sources with a Crab-like enegry spectra and fluxes. The science targets of the first balloon flights will include the stellar mass black holes GRS 1915+105 and Cyg X-1, Her X-1, Sco X-1, and the Crab nebula and pulsar. The long duration balloon flight will target several X-ray binaries and the extragalactic mass accreting supermassive black hole Cen A. In this contribution we give an update on the status of the mission, and the expected science return.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #15
- Pub Date:
- April 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016HEAD...1511620K