Abstract
This paper presents microsatellite spacecraft payload study for prompt observation of transient astrophysical objects in X-ray energy range. By combining telescope concepts and miniaturized detectors, the small spacecraft will be able to probe the X-ray temporal emissions of bright events such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), X-ray transients or the electromagnetic counterparts of Gravitational Wave Events (GWEs), but also short and long term observations of other types of variable X-ray sources. The spacecraft is based on the CubeSat nanosatellite platform with a volume of 16U. The spacecraft carries two types of X-ray telescopes onboard. The first is intended for X-ray transient monitoring and localization, and the second for detailed spectroscopic observation. The X-ray monitor/localization telescope with wide field of view of several arc degrees is used for localization and flux measurement of X-ray transients, as well as for permanent monitoring of Galactic center area. This telescope is based on Lobster Eye X-ray optics together with pixel detector based on the Timepix3 Quad detector. Rapid follow-up observation by soft X-ray spectroscopy is enabled by a second X-ray spectroscopic telescope with limited FOV (Field of View) of several arcmins with no spatial and/or angular resolution. The spectroscopic telescope uses condenser optics based on replicated parabolic total reflection system (or, alternatively, Wolter system) and a Ketek X-ray SDD detector with energy resolution of about 130 eV as a detector. In addition to technical and instrumental aspects, observational strategy and astrophysical issues and justifications are also addressed in the paper.
Highlights
A large number of high-energy transient events can be observed in the sky
There is a third group of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) related objects, namely, the offaxis observed GRBs. All these facts justify the consideration of an independent experiment for monitoring, detection, and analyses of GRBs and others fast X-ray transients in X-rays, as described in this paper
This paper presents a conceptual study of a novel scientific astrophysical payload for a 16U CubeSat microsatellite spacecraft, suitable for study of prompt Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) X-ray afterglow observation with potential to study other types of X-ray transients and X-ray variable sources, both galactic as well as extragalactic
Summary
A large number of high-energy transient events can be observed in the sky One type of these transients are Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), discovered in 1967 by the Vela military satellites [1]. Due to extended competitions with other projects and proposals, e.g., in the European Space Agency (ESA), it is difficult to have new X-ray astronomy missions approved (good examples are LOFT and THESEUS, which were preselected but not accepted for realization). This gap can be filled to some extent by small missions based on CubeSat technologies, enabled by the recent rapid progress in CubeSat-related technologies. The small satellites with much less mass can achieve this repointing much easier
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