The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE): Technical Overview II

O'Dell, Stephen L ; Attin, Primo ; Baldini, Luca ; Barbanera, Mattia ; Baumgartner, Wayne H ; Bellazzini, Ronaldo ; Bladt, Jeff ; Bongiorno, Stephen D ; Brez, Alessandro ; Cavazzuti, Elisabetta(Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Rome, Italy)

关键词: ASTRONOMICAL POLARIMETRY;    DESIGN ANALYSIS;    IMAGING TECHNIQUES;    IMAGING X-RAY POLARIMETRY EXPLORER (IXPE);    INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION;    ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY (ASI);    MISSION PLANNING;    POLARIZATION (WAVES);    SYSTEMS ENGINEERING;    TELECOMMUNICATION;    X RAY TELESCOPES;   

RP-ID  :  MSFC-E-DAA-TN72945

学科分类：航空航天科学

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) will add polarization to the properties (time, energy, and position) observed in x-ray astronomy. A NASA Astrophysics Small Explorer (SMEX) in partnership with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), IXPE will measure the 2–8-keV polarization of a few dozen sources during the first 2 years following its 2021 launch. The IXPE Observatory includes three identical x-ray telescopes, each comprising a 4-m-focal-length (grazingincidence) mirror module assembly (MMA) and a polarization-sensitive (imaging) detector unit (DU), separated by a deployable optical bench. The Observatory’s Spacecraft provides typical subsystems (mechanical, structural, thermal, power, electrical, telecommunications, etc.), an attitude determination and control subsystem for 3-axis stabilized pointing, and a command and data handling subsystem communicating with the science instrument and the Spacecraft subsystems.