GRI: focusing on the evolving violent universe
Tóm tắt
The gamma-ray imager (GRI) is a novel mission concept that will provide an unprecedented sensitivity leap in the soft gamma-ray domain by using for the first time a focusing lens built of Laue diffracting crystals. The lens will cover an energy band from 200–1,300 keV with an effective area reaching 600 cm2. It will be complemented by a single reflection multilayer coated mirror, extending the GRI energy band into the hard X-ray regime, down to ∼10 keV. The concentrated photons will be collected by a position sensitive pixelised CZT stack detector. We estimate continuum sensitivities of better than 10 − 7 ph cm − 2s − 1keV − 1 for a 100 ks exposure; the narrow line sensitivity will be better than 3 × 10 − 6 ph cm − 2s − 1 for the same integration time. As focusing instrument, GRI will have an angular resolution of better than 30 arcsec within a field of view of roughly 5 arcmin—an unprecedented achievement in the gamma-ray domain. Owing to the large focal length of 100 m of the lens and the mirror, the optics and detector will be placed on two separate spacecrafts flying in formation in a high elliptical orbit. R&D work to enable the lens focusing technology and to develop the required focal plane detector is currently underway, financed by ASI, CNES, ESA, and the Spanish Ministery of Education and Science. The GRI mission has been proposed as class M mission for ESAs Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 program. GRI will allow studies of particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the universe.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Barrière, N., von Ballmoos, P., Bastie, P., et al.: Second generation crystals for Laue lens applications. Proc. SPIE 6266, 70–78 (2006)
Beijersbergen, M., Kraft, S., Bavdaz, M., et al.: Development of X-ray pore optics: novel high-resolution silicon millipore optics for XEUS and ultralow mass glass micropore optics for imaging and timing. Proc. SPIE 5539, 104–115 (2004)
Brown, C.: GRL Technology Reference Study Final Report. ESA SCI-A/2005/058/GRL/CB (2005)
Caroli, E., Auricchio, N., Bertuccio, G., et al.: A focal plane detector design for a wide band Laue-lens telescope. Proc. SPIE 6266, 67–78 (2006)
Christensen, F.E., Jensen, C.P., Madsen, K.K., et al.: Novel multilayer designs for future hard X-ray missions. Proc. SPIE 6266, 28–40 (2006)
Duchon, P.: MAX: formation flying for nuclear astrophysics. Exp. Astron. 20, 483–495 (2005)
Frontera, F., Pisa, A., Carassiti, V., et al.: Gamma-ray lens development status for a European gamma-ray imager. Proc. SPIE 6266, 64–75 (2006)
Halloin, H., von Ballmoos, P., Evrard, J., et al.: CLAIRE gamma-ray lens: flight and long-distance test results. Proc. SPIE 5168, 471–481 (2004)
von Ballmoos, P., Halloin, H., Paul, J., et al.: The MAX Mission: focusing on high-sensitivity gamma-ray spectroscopy. In: Proc. 5th INTEGRAL Workshop, Munich 16–20 February 2004, ESA SP-552, pp. 747–753 (2004)
Winkler, C.: Scientific highlights from INTEGRAL. New Astron. Rev. 50, 530–533 (2006)
Winkler, C., Courvoisier, T.J.-L., DiCocco, G., et al.: The INTEGRAL mission. A&A 411, L1 (2003)
Wunderer, C.B., Weidenspointner, G., Zoglauer, A., et al.: Germanium (Compton) focal plane detectors for gamma-ray lenses. Proc. SPIE 6266, 66–77 (2006)