6533b81ffe1ef96bd1278553

RESEARCH PRODUCT

GrailQuest: hunting for atoms of space and time hidden in the wrinkle of Space-Time: A swarm of nano/micro/small-satellites to probe the ultimate structure of Space-Time and to provide an all-sky monitor to study high-energy astrophysics phenomena

Dhiren KatariaAndrea SantangeloMonica ColpiEnrico CostaCarlo RovelliAlessandro PapittoSalvatore CapozzielloN. D'amicoN. D'amicoAlessandro RiggioKevin HurleyMarco FerociM. BranchesiM. Della ValleGiuseppe LodatoF. FronteraAngelo GambinoTsvi PiranP. De BernardisT. Di SalvoT. Di SalvoLorenzo AmatiE. CocciaGabriele GhiselliniSilvia ZaneHeino FalckeBarbara NegriGiovanni Amelino-cameliaM. De LaurentisClaudio LabantiF. VidottoFabrizio FioreAndrea SannaR. IariaLuciano BurderiLuciano Burderi

subject

PhysicsGamma-Ray Burstsγ-ray sourceAll-sky monitor; Constellation of satellites; Gamma-Ray Bursts; Quantum gravity; γ-ray sourcesPhotonbusiness.industryGravitational waveHigh-energy astronomyAstrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical PhenomenaConstellation of satellitesQuantum gravityAstronomy and AstrophysicsGamma-ray astronomyGamma-Ray Burstγ-ray sourcesOpticsConstellation of satelliteAll-sky monitorSpace and Planetary ScienceObservatoryTemporal resolutionSatellitebusinessGeocentric orbit

description

AbstractGrailQuest(Gamma Ray Astronomy International Laboratory for QUantum Exploration of Space-Time) is a mission concept based on a constellation (hundreds/thousands) of nano/micro/small-satellites in low (or near) Earth orbits. Each satellite hosts a non-collimated array of scintillator crystals coupled with Silicon Drift Detectors with broad energy band coverage (keV-MeV range) and excellent temporal resolution (≤ 100 nanoseconds) each with effective area$\sim 100 \text {cm}^{2}$∼100cm2. This simple and robust design allows for mass-production of the satellites of the fleet. This revolutionary approach implies a huge reduction of costs, flexibility in the segmented launching strategy, and an incremental long-term plan to increase the number of detectors and their performance; this will result in a living observatory for next-generation, space-based astronomical facilities.GrailQuestis conceived as an all-sky monitor for fast localisation of high signal-to-noise ratio transients in the X-/gamma-ray band, e.g. the elusive electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events. Robust temporal triangulation techniques will allow unprecedented localisation capabilities, in the keV-MeV band, of a few arcseconds or below, depending on the temporal structure of the transient event. The ambitious ultimate goal of this mission is to perform the first experiment, in quantum gravity, to directly probe space-time structure down to the minuscule Planck scale, by constraining or measuring a first-order dispersion relation for lightin vacuo. This is obtained by detecting delays between photons of different energies in the prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts.

10.1007/s10686-021-09745-5http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/31874