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STROBE-X: X-ray Timing & Spectroscopy on Dynamical Timescales from Milliseconds to YearsWe describe a probe-class mission concept that provides an unprecedented view of the X-ray sky, performing timing and 0.2-30 keV spectroscopy over timescales from microseconds to years. The Spectroscopic Time-Resolving Observatory for Broadband Energy X-rays (STROBE-X) comprises three primary instruments. The first uses an array of lightweight optics (3-m focal length) that concentrate incident photons onto solid state detectors with CCD-level (85-130 eV) energy resolution, 100 ns time resolution, and low background rates to cover the 0.2-12 keV band. This technology is scaled up from NICER [1], with enhanced optics to take advantage of the longer focal length of STROBE-X. The second uses large-area collimated silicon drift detectors, developed for ESA's LOFT [2], to cover the 2-30 keV band. These two instruments each provide an order of magnitude improvement in effective area compared with its predecessor (NICER and RXTE, respectively). Finally, a sensitive sky monitor triggers pointed observations, provides high duty cycle, high time resolution, high spectral resolution monitoring of the X-ray sky with approx. 20 times the sensitivity of the RXTE ASM, and enables multi-wavelength and multi-messenger studies on a continuous, rather than scanning basis. For the first time, the broad coverage provides simultaneous study of thermal components, non-thermal components, iron lines, and reflection features from a single platform for accreting black holes at all scales. The enormous collecting area allows detailed studies of the dense matter equation of state using both thermal emission from rotation-powered pulsars and harder emission from X-ray burst oscillations. The combination of the wide-field monitor and the sensitive pointed instruments enables observations of potential electromagnetic counterparts to LIGO and neutrino events. Additional extragalactic science, such as high quality spectroscopy of clusters of galaxies and unprecedented timing investigations of active galactic nuclei, is also obtained
Document ID
20180000419
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Ray, P. S.
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
Maccarone, T
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Chakrabarty, D.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Gendreau, K.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Arzoumanian, Z.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Jenke, P.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Ballantyne, D.
(Georgia Tech Savannah, GA, United States)
Bozzo, E.
(Geneva Univ. Geneva, Switzerland)
Brandt, S.
(Technical Univ. of Denmark Lyngby, Denmark)
Brenneman, L.
(Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA, United States)
Christophersen, M.
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
DeRosa, A.
(Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale (INAF-IAPS) Rome, Italy)
Feroci, M.
(Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale (INAF-IAPS) Rome, Italy)
Goldstein, A.
(Universities Space Research Association Mobile, AL, United States)
Hartmann, D.
(Clemson Univ. SC, United States)
Hernanz, M.
(Institute of Space Sciences (ICE CSIC) Barcelona, Spain)
McDonald, M.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Phlips, B.
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
Remillard, R.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Stevens, A.
(Amsterdam Univ. Netherlands)
Tomsick, J.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Watts, A.
(Amsterdam Univ. Netherlands)
Wood, K.
(Praxis, Inc. Alexandria, VA, United States)
Zane, S.
(Mullard Space Science Lab. Dorking, United Kingdom)
Date Acquired
January 16, 2018
Publication Date
January 8, 2018
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
MSFC-E-DAA-TN50652
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting
Location: National Harbor, MD
Country: United States
Start Date: January 8, 2018
End Date: January 12, 2018
Sponsors: American Astronomical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
Keywords
STROBE-
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