Arcus: Exploring the Formation and Evolution of Clusters, Galaxies, and Stars
Abstract
We present the scientific motivation and performance 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 with >500 cm2 of effective area at the crucial O VII and O VIII lines, with the full bandpass going from ~10-50 Angstroms. Arcus will use the silicon pore optics developed for ESA’s Athena mission, paired with off-plane gratings being developed at the University of Iowa and combined with MIT/Lincoln Labs CCDs. With essentially no consumables, Arcus should achieve its mission goals in under 2 years, after which we anticipate a substantial period of operation as a general observatory.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #15
- Pub Date:
- April 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016HEAD...1530203S