The Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) on ASTROSAT

The Scanning Sky Monitor is one of the experiments onboard the ASTROSAT, an Indian multiwavelength astronomy satellite mission. This experiment will detect and monitor X-ray transients in the energy band 2–10 keV. It is similar in design to the ASM on RXTE. It consists of position-sensitive proportional counters with one-dimensional mask. We describe the configuration of the experiment. We also discuss some of the results obtained using a detector which has already been fabricated and tested in our laboratory.     

Optimisation of X-ray proportional counters for Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) on ASTROSAT

The Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) on ASTROSAT is a position-sensitive gas-filled proportional counter with a wide field of view. The scientific objective of SSM is to scan the sky within few hours to detect and locate transient X-ray sources in the outburst phase. Once detected, this information will be provided for studies in all energy bands. The energy range of operation of SSM is 2–10 keV. The optimisation of the parameters of the proportional counter such as the cell size, the gas mixture and the gas pressure for the SSM are discussed here.