Search results for "X-Ray Astronomy"
showing 10 items of 35 documents
The optical/UV filters for the EPIC experiment
1998
EPIC, the European Photon Imaging Cameras is an experiment based on cooled CCDs on board the ESA X-ray Multi Mirrors satellite due to be launched in 1999. Since CCD's are sensitive to radiation other than X-rays, namely Optical and UV light, filters are necessary to prevent this radiation from reaching the detector sensitive area. Three types of filters were developed, to be used alternatively depending on target source. Here we report on the medium and thin filters developed by MOXTEK Inc. in Orem, Utah, while the thick ones, developed at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE, Germany) have been described elsewhere. The two filters, described here, have a 1600 /spl Ari…
Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory for detecting the early photons from gamma-ray bursts
2011
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous transient events with short intense flashes that have been detected in random directions in the sky once or twice per day. Their durations have been measured in seconds, especially short GRBs with duration of < 2 sec. The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) space mission aims to detect the earliest moments of an explosion which presents the nature of GRBs, resulting into the enhancement of GRB mechanism understanding. The UFFO consists of a couple of wide Field-of-View (FOV) trigger telescopes, a narrow-FOV Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) for the fast measurement of the UV-optical photons from GRBs, and a gamma-ray monitor for energy measurement.…
X-Ray Spectral Variability of 3C273
1985
3C273 has been monitored by EXOSAT over the period December 1983 to June 1984 in 4 observations. In the December observation the flux was high and the spectrum showed a power law index of 1.5 changing to 0.9 at~8 keV. In subsequent observations the flux dropped to~40% of its original value and the hard tail disappeared. In the last observation the LE flux increased by a factor of 2 with no accompanying ME flux increase.
The Sax Mission for X-Ray Astronomy
1990
The satellite for X-ray astronomy SAX, to be launched at the end of 1993, is devoted to systematic, integrated and comprehensive, studies of galactic and extra-galactic sources in the energy band 0.1–200 keV, and is under joint development by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace programs (NIVR), with the participation of SRU/SRON and SSD/ESTEC. The basic scientific objectives can be summarized as follows: — Broad band spectroscopy (E/△ E=12) from 0.1–10 keV with imaging resolution of 1 arcmin. — Continuum and line spectroscopy (E/△ E=5-20) in the energy range 3–200 keV. — Variability studies of bright source energy spectra on timescales from milliseconds t…
Light weight, thin plastic foil, X-ray telescopes
2002
We present results from a program to develop an X-ray telescope made from thin plastic shells. Our initial results have been obtained from multi-shell cylindrical lenses that are used in a point-to-point configuration to image the small focal spot of a an X-ray tube on a microchannel plate detector. We describe the steps that led up to the present design and present data from the tests that have been used to identify the properties of the plastic material that make it a suitable X-ray reflector. We discuss two applications of our technology to X-ray missions that are designed to address some of the scientific priorities set forth in NASA's long term plans for high energy astrophysics. One m…
Possible detection of a radio event correlated with a γ-ray burst
1977
COSMIC bursts of electromagnetic radiation, both isolated and in connection with other impulsive astrophysical phenomena, have been sought for many years1, with only one suggestive positive result2, until, in 1973, the discovery of γ-ray bursts3 of cosmic origin prompted a new series of observations4. In 1975 we started a systematic search for electromagnetic bursts at v.h.f. and u.h.f. The system, based at Medicina (Bologna, Italy), is semi-automatic and assures highly efficient data collection. Simultaneous observations at different frequencies facilitate the evaluation of disturbances of local origin and, hopefully, their isolation. Regular observations started in July 1976, and we repor…
A single stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator for testing x-ray microcalorimeters
2004
A single stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR), has been set-up at the X-ray Astronomy Calibration and Testing (XACT) facility of INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo G.S. Vaiana, for the development and testing of cryogenic X-ray detectors for laboratory and astrophysical applications. The ADR allows to cool detectors at temperatures below 40 mK and to maintain them at constant operating temperature for many hours. We describe the design and construction of the ADR and present test results and performances.
A rapid H? change in X Persei
1993
A trend of decreasing Hα emission over a period of thirty minutes is apparent in a series of spectra of X Persei taken on 31 December, 1987. This change appears to be astrophysical in origin and it indicates an anomalous state for X Persei that may be linked to its transition from a Be star to a normal B star, which occurred sometime between March 1988 and November 1990.
X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy with NTD germanium-based microcalorimeters
2002
We report on the performance of our NTD-Ge microcalorimeters. To date, the spectral resolution for x-ray and gamma-ray lines from radioactive sources and laboratory plasmas is 4.8 eV in the entire 1 - 6 keV band and 52 eV at 60 keV. Technical details responsible for this performance are presented as well as an innovative electro-thermal approach for enhancing count-rate capability.
Calibration of the XRT-SOLARB flight filters at the XACT facility of INAF-OAPA
2004
The X-Ray Telescope (XRT) experiment on-board the Japanese satellite SOLAR-B (launch in 2006) aimed at providing full Sun field of view at ~ 1.5" angular resolution, will be equipped with two wheels of focal-plane filters to select spectral features of X-ray emission from the Solar corona, and a front-end filter to significantly reduce the visible light contamination. We present the results of the X-ray calibrations of the XRT flight filters performed at the X-ray Astronomy Calibration and Testing (XACT) facility of INAF-OAPA. We describe the instrumental set-up, the adopted measurement technique, and present the transmission vs. energy and position measurements.