Constellation X-ray mission: implementation concept and science overview

Harvey D. Tananbaum; Nicholas E. White; Jay A. Bookbinder; F. E. Marshall; F. A. Cordova

doi:10.1117/12.366555

22 October 1999 Constellation X-ray mission: implementation concept and science overview

Harvey D. Tananbaum, Nicholas E. White, Jay A. Bookbinder, F. E. Marshall, F. A. Cordova

Proceedings Volume 3765, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy X; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.366555
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The Constellation-X mission is a large collecting area x-ray facility, emphasizing observations at high spectral resolution while covering a broad energy band. By increasing the telescope aperture and utilizing efficient spectrometers the mission will achieve a factor of 100 increased sensitivity over current high resolution x-ray spectroscopy missions. The use of focusing optics across the 10-40 keV band will provide a similar factor of 100 increased sensitivity in this band. Key technologies under development for the mission include lightweight high throughput x-ray optics, multilayer coatings to enhance the hard x-ray performance of x-ray optics, micro-calorimeter spectrometer arrays with 2 eV resolution, low power and low weight CCD arrays, lightweight gratings and hard x-ray detectors. When observations commence towards the end of the next decade, Constellation-X will address many pressing questions concerning the extremes of gravity and the evolution of the Universe.

Citation Download Citation

Harvey D. Tananbaum, Nicholas E. White, Jay A. Bookbinder, F. E. Marshall, and F. A. Cordova "Constellation X-ray mission: implementation concept and science overview", Proc. SPIE 3765, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy X, (22 October 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.366555

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