Status of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope Project

The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) is China's first astronomical satellite. It will perform a broad band (1-250keV) scan survey and do pointed observations of X-ray sources to study their spectra and multi-wavelength temporal properties. The pre-flight models of the satellites have been finished, and the flight models are in production. The expected launch date of HXMT is in late 2015.      

Status of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope Project

The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) is China's first X-ray (1-250 keV) astronomical satellite officially approved in 2011. It will scan the Galactic plane to detect new transient sources and do pointed observations of X-ray sources to study their spectra and multiwavelength temporal properties. Now the flight model of the satellite is in the final testing stage, and the expected launch date is in late 2016.      

Zodiacal light and space observation of faint objects

Zodiacal light is examined as a “foreground noise” limiting the space photometry of faint objects. Emphasis is given to the ways of increasing the signal to noise ratio by an appropriate choice of observational epoch. In the case of the Space Telescope, predictions of average values of this ratio for the extreme faintness case V = 28 are derived from the expected performances announced by NASA and from the recent table of zodiacal brightnesses, as obtained from observations at Tenerife ([1], table 2).     

HXMT satellite for space hard X-ray observation

In this paper, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope mission is introduced. Its primary objective is to perform the hard X-ray all sky survey of high resolution and high sensitivity. The expected angular resolution and position accuracy of the satellite are better than 10^′ and 2^′, respectively. The preliminary mission design is analyzed. And a new attitude subsystem scheme is presented to meet the high precision demand of attitude determination. A conclusion is drawn that the mission design is feasible. The possible launch of it will significantly advance the astrophysical study.     

Planned NASA space infrared astronomy experiments

A summary is presented of the present status of the NASA space infrared astronomy program. Projects described include the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), Small Infrared Telescope on Spacelab 2 (IRT), Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), Space Telescope (ST), and the Large Deployable Reflector (LDR). The important technical developments achieved in these programs are also discussed, as well as critical needs for future missions.     

High Energy X-ray Telescope Data Analysis Method

The science analysis of the data from the High Energy X-ray Telescope （HE） on the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope （HXMT） satellite is organized in three stages: calibration, screening and extraction of high-level scientific products. At the first stage, the raw PHA value of each event is converted to PI value accounting for temporal changes in gain and energy offset. At the second stage, the calibrated events are screened by applying cleaning criteria. At the third stage, scientific products, i.e. spectra, light curves and redistribution matrix files, are extracted. This work will introduce the three stages as well as the screening criteria and the data combining method.      

The Swift GRB MIDEX mission

Swift is a first-of-its-kind multiwavelength transient observatory for γ-ray burst astronomy. It has the optimum capabilities for the next breakthroughs in determining the origin of γ-ray bursts and their afterglows, as well as for using bursts to probe the early Universe. Swift will also monitor the soft gamma repeaters and perform the first sensitive hard X-ray survey of the sky. The mission is being developed by an international collaboration and consists of three instruments, the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), the X-ray Telescope (XRT), and the Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT). The BAT, a wide-field γ-ray detector, will detect >100 γ-ray bursts per year with a sensitivity 5× that of BATSE. The sensitive narrow-field XRT and UVOT will be autonomously slewed to the burst location within 20–70 s to determine 0.3–5.0″ positions and perform optical, UV, and X-ray spectrophotometry. Strong education/public outreach and follow-up programs will help to engage the public and the astronomical community. Swift launch is planned for late 2004.     

Future of Space Astronomy: A global Road Map for the next decades

The use of space techniques continues to play a key role in the advance of astrophysics by providing access to the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio to high energy γ rays. The increasing size, complexity and cost of large space observatories places a growing emphasis on international collaboration. Furthermore, combining existing and future datasets from space and “ground based” observatories is an emerging mode of powerful and relatively inexpensive research to address problems that can only be tackled by the application of large multi-wavelength observations. While the present set of astronomical facilities is impressive and covers the entire electromagnetic spectrum, with complementary space and “ground based” telescopes, the situation in the next 10–20 years is of critical concern. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to be launched not earlier than 2018, is the only approved future major space astronomy mission. Other major highly recommended space astronomy missions, such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the International X-ray Observatory (IXO), Large Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA), have yet to be approved for development.     

Sensitivity analysis of test methods for aspheric off-axis mirrors

Following the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the next generation James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is being developed to be launched in a few years. JWST will be a segmented mirror telescope with a design much like that developed for ground-based telescopes over the past 20 years. Several segmented mirror telescopes are currently in operation, and next generation ground-based telescopes of the 30-m class are also being designed using segmented primary mirrors. Regardless of size, segmented primary mirror telescopes often require the use of aspheric segment mirrors. One of the key factors in fabrication of aspheric segment mirrors is feasibility of testing off-axis surfaces with high accuracy. A couple of test methods have been investigated for aspheric off-axis segments. As a case study, we apply these test methods to secondary segmented mirror models of the Giant Magellan Telescope. We derive required dimensions of test set-ups and assess sensitivity of optical alignment. Characteristics of the test methods are also discussed.     

Space Astronomy in China:2002-2004

More and more proposals, or potential projects have been proposed in recent two years. We try to briefly outline these new proposals, although most of them are in fact only in their conception studies. The progress of previously mentioned projects, like Space Solar Telescope (SST), the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), as well as newly initiated LUnar Resource Explorer (LUREX), will be introduced elsewhere.     

HXMT的空间环境本底计算

硬X射线调制望远镜(HXMT)是一颗宽波段X射线(1～250 keV)天文卫星,其核心载荷高能X射线望远镜(HE)工作于硬X射线能区(20～250 keV),致力于实现硬X射线的高灵敏度巡天观测,描绘硬X射线天图,并对特殊天体作高灵敏度定点观测.为了获得高灵敏度,必须有效地抑制本底.本底主要是由轨道环境中的粒子(γ射线、质子、电子、中子)与探测器相互作用产生的.本文结合大量的描述近地空间本底的文献和最新的实测数据,整理出一套自洽的近地空间本底粒子的数据和公式,便于应用.并通过Geant 4软件模拟计算给出了HXMT的本底及本底随时间和轨道的变化.      

Star visibility and tracking from the Space Station

Purpose of the present study is to provide algorithms for and examples of how to simulate star visibility and tracking by a Telescope attached to the main truss of the International Space Station (ISS).     

Observed flux density enhancement at submillimeter wavelengths during an X-class flare

We analyse the 30 October, 2004, X1.2/SF solar event that occurred in AR 10691 (N13 W18) at around 11:44 UT. Observations at 212 and 405 GHz of the Solar Submillimeter Telescope (SST), with high time resolution (5 ms), show an intense impulsive burst followed by a long-lasting thermal phase. EUV images from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SOHO/EIT) are used to identify the possible emitting sources. Data from the Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) complement our spectral observations below 15 GHz. During the impulsive phase the turnover frequency is above 15.4 GHz. The long-lasting phase is analysed in terms of thermal emission and compared with GOES observations. From the ratio between the two GOES soft X-ray bands, we derive the temperature and emission measure, which is used to estimate the free-free submillimeter flux density. Good temporal agreement is found between the estimated and observed profiles, however the former is larger than the latter.     

Development of the Infrared Telescope in Space: IRTS

Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS) is a cryogenically cooled small infrared telescope aboard the small space platform, SFU (Space Flyer Unit). IRTS has a telescope of 15 cm diameter, which is rather small compared with other big space missions. IRTS, however, is optimized to observe extended diffuse sources with four focal plane instruments which have wide wavelength coverage from the near infrared to the submillimeter region.

All instruments have been calibrated with a test cryostat, and integrated into the flight cryostat. Cooling tests of the whole IRTS system have confirmed that instruments and cryostat will perform as expected. Integration of the IRTS on the SFU will soon begin and the ground tests of the SFU system will be conducted in the coming year.

The launch of the SFU will be in early 1995. The IRTS will survey the 10% of the sky during the three week mission and provide significant scientific results on cosmology, galactic structure, interstellar matter, stars, and solar system.     

Results from the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Observatory

The Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory covers the high energy gamma ray energy range, approximately 30 MeV to 30 GeV, with a sensitivity considerably greater than earlier high energy gamma-ray satellites. Thus far, 4 pulsars have been detected and their properties measured, including in 3 cases the energy spectrum as a function of phase. The details of the galactic plane are being mapped and a spectra of the center region has been obtained in good agreement with that expected from cosmic ray interactions. The Magellanic clouds have been examined with the Large Magellanic Cloud having been detected at a level consistent with it having a cosmic ray density compatible with quasi-stable equilibrium. Sixteen Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN's) have been seen thus far with a high degree of certainty including 12 quasars and 4 BL Lac objects, but no Seyferts. Time variation has been detected in some of these AGN's.     

Microwave Brightness Temperature and Lunar Son Dielectric Property Retrieve

Among many scientific objectives of lunar exploration, investigations on lunar soil become more and more attractive to the scientists duo to the existence of abundant 3He and ilmenite in the lunar soil and their possible utilization. Although the soil composition determination on the lunar surface is available by visible light spectrometer, γ/X-ray spectrometer etc, the evaluations on the total reserves of 3He and ilmenite in the lunar deep and on the thickness of the lunar soil are still impossible so far. In this paper, the authors first give a rough analysis of the microwave brightness temperature images of the lunar disc observed using the NRAO 12 Meter Telescope and Siberian Solar Radio Telescope; then introduce our researches on the microwave dielectric properties of lunar soil simulators; finally, discuss some basic relations between the microwave brightness temperature and lunar soil properties.     

Modeling the spectral evolution in the decaying tail of gamma-ray bursts observed by Swift

The detailed study of the spectral evolution during the steep decay phase of early X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is a very important task that can give us information on different emission components contributing to the prompt-to-afterglow transition and help to understand the link between these two stages. Time resolved spectral analysis of bright GRBs detected by Swift has shown that a good modeling of the early X-ray light curves can be obtained with Band or cut-off power-law broad band spectra with evolving parameters (e.g., decaying peak energy). We developed a procedure to simultaneously fit the temporal evolution of all the spectral parameters of a GRB during the prompt-to-afterglow transition based on the analysis of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) count rate and hardness ratio light curves. The procedure has been tested on GRB 060614 and GRB 090618, two very peculiar bright GRB detected by Swift that show a long exponentially decaying tail with strong softening and peak energy crossing the XRT energy band.     

Bayesian linking of geosynchronous orbital debris tracks as seen by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

We describe a Bayesian sampling model for linking and constraining orbit models from angular observations of “streaks” in optical telescope images. Our algorithm is particularly suited to situations where the observation times are small fractions of the orbital periods of the observed objects or when there is significant confusion of objects in the observation field. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo to sample from the joint posterior distribution of the parameters of multiple orbit models (up to the number of observed tracks) and parameters describing which tracks are linked with which orbit models. Using this algorithm, we forecast the constraints on geosynchronous (GEO) debris orbits achievable with the planned Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). Because of the short 15 s exposure times, preliminary orbit determinations of GEO objects from LSST will have large and degenerate errors on the orbital elements. Combined with the expected crowded fields of GEO debris it will be challenging to reliably link orbital tracks in LSST observations given the currently planned observing cadence.     

Forbush decreases and solar events seen in the 10–20 GeV energy range by the Karlsruhe Muon Telescope

Since 1993, a muon telescope located at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Muon Telescope) has been recording the flux of single muons mostly originating from primary cosmic-ray protons with dominant energies in the 10–20 GeV range. The data are used to investigate the influence of solar effects on the flux of cosmic rays measured at Earth. Non-periodic events like Forbush decreases and ground level enhancements are detected in the registered muon flux. A selection of recent events will be presented and compared to data from the Jungfraujoch neutron monitor. The data of the Karlsruhe Muon Telescope help to extend the knowledge about Forbush decreases and ground level enhancements to energies beyond the neutron monitor regime.     

Dark Matter searches with GLAST

The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), scheduled to be launched in fall 2007, is the next generation satellite for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. The Large Area Telescope (LAT), GLAST main instrument, with a wide field of view (>2 sr), a large effective area (>8000 cm² at 1 GeV) and 20 MeV–300 GeV energy range, will provide excellent high energy gamma-ray observations for Dark Matter searches. In this paper we examine the potential of the LAT to detect gamma-rays coming from WIMPS annihilation in the context of supersymmetry. As an example, two search regions are investigated: the galactic center and the galactic satellites.