2.8 Development of X-ray Astronomy
81
incoming X-ray energy is focused into one arc-second circle. The telescope has 12 m
focal length, 400 cm
2 collecting area and 0.5 arc-seconds resolution. There are two
kinds of detectors on the focal plane of the telescope: an advanced CCD imaging
spectrometer consisting of 10 CCD chips, and operating in 0.2–10 keV energy
range; a high-resolution camera consisting of two micro-channel plate components
and imaging over the range of 0.1–10 keV, whose time resolution is 16 microseconds. Moreover, there are also two transmission grating spectrometers, which swing
into the optical path behind the mirrors to provide the CXO with high-resolution
spectroscopy. The high-energy transmission grating spectrometer works over 0.4–
10 keV and has a spectral resolution of 60–1000; the low energy transmission grating
spectrometer has a range of 0.09–3 keV and a resolution of 40–2000.
The CXO is specially applied to observing fainter cosmic X-ray sources, and its
scientific discoveries include: to give astronomers their first glimpse of the compact
object at the center of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, probably a neutron star
or black hole; to show a never-before-seen ring around the central pulsar in the
Crab Nebula; to observe the first X-ray emission from the super-massive black hole,
Sagittarius A*, at the center of the Milky Way; to find much more cool gas than
expected spiraling into the center of the Andromeda Galaxy; to discover a new type
of black hole in galaxy M82; to take the earliest image in X-rays of the shock wave
of a supernova, SN 1987A; to observe sound waves from violent activity around a
super-massive black hole in the Perseus Cluster; to put limits on the cross section
of the self-interaction of dark matter by observing the Bullet Cluster. The origin
and evolution of the universe can deeply be understood by the mankind from the
observations of black holes, supernovae and dark matters.
2.8.6 X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission
The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton (XMM-Newton) was named after British
physicist and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton, and also known as the high-throughput
X-ray spectroscopy mission. On December 10, 1999, XMM-Newton was launched
by the European Space Agency (ESA) from Guiana Space Centre into a highly
elliptical orbit with the eccentricity of 0.816, the perigee of 5,663 km, the apogee of
112,878 km and the inclination of 67.1°.
The XMM-Newton is a space telescope with 10.8-m long, and with 16.16-m
wide as its solar arrays are deployed. The satellite adopts the three-axis stabilized
control, which allows it to aim at a target with an accuracy of 0.25–1 arc-seconds. This
stabilization is achieved through the use of its attitude and orbit control system, which
allow it to point at different celestial targets and can turn it at a maximum of 90 degrees
per hour. The telescope assembly consists of three Wolter-I telescopes, in which each
is also composed of 58 cylindrical nested mirrors. The diameter of the outermost
mirror is 70 cm, and that of the innermost is 30.6 cm and the focal length is 7.5 m. The
telescope assembly produces a total collecting area of 4425 cm
2 at 1.5 keV and 1740
cm
2 at 8 keV. Moreover, there are six instruments on the board of the XMM-Newton:
81
incoming X-ray energy is focused into one arc-second circle. The telescope has 12 m
focal length, 400 cm
2 collecting area and 0.5 arc-seconds resolution. There are two
kinds of detectors on the focal plane of the telescope: an advanced CCD imaging
spectrometer consisting of 10 CCD chips, and operating in 0.2–10 keV energy
range; a high-resolution camera consisting of two micro-channel plate components
and imaging over the range of 0.1–10 keV, whose time resolution is 16 microseconds. Moreover, there are also two transmission grating spectrometers, which swing
into the optical path behind the mirrors to provide the CXO with high-resolution
spectroscopy. The high-energy transmission grating spectrometer works over 0.4–
10 keV and has a spectral resolution of 60–1000; the low energy transmission grating
spectrometer has a range of 0.09–3 keV and a resolution of 40–2000.
The CXO is specially applied to observing fainter cosmic X-ray sources, and its
scientific discoveries include: to give astronomers their first glimpse of the compact
object at the center of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, probably a neutron star
or black hole; to show a never-before-seen ring around the central pulsar in the
Crab Nebula; to observe the first X-ray emission from the super-massive black hole,
Sagittarius A*, at the center of the Milky Way; to find much more cool gas than
expected spiraling into the center of the Andromeda Galaxy; to discover a new type
of black hole in galaxy M82; to take the earliest image in X-rays of the shock wave
of a supernova, SN 1987A; to observe sound waves from violent activity around a
super-massive black hole in the Perseus Cluster; to put limits on the cross section
of the self-interaction of dark matter by observing the Bullet Cluster. The origin
and evolution of the universe can deeply be understood by the mankind from the
observations of black holes, supernovae and dark matters.
2.8.6 X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission
The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton (XMM-Newton) was named after British
physicist and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton, and also known as the high-throughput
X-ray spectroscopy mission. On December 10, 1999, XMM-Newton was launched
by the European Space Agency (ESA) from Guiana Space Centre into a highly
elliptical orbit with the eccentricity of 0.816, the perigee of 5,663 km, the apogee of
112,878 km and the inclination of 67.1°.
The XMM-Newton is a space telescope with 10.8-m long, and with 16.16-m
wide as its solar arrays are deployed. The satellite adopts the three-axis stabilized
control, which allows it to aim at a target with an accuracy of 0.25–1 arc-seconds. This
stabilization is achieved through the use of its attitude and orbit control system, which
allow it to point at different celestial targets and can turn it at a maximum of 90 degrees
per hour. The telescope assembly consists of three Wolter-I telescopes, in which each
is also composed of 58 cylindrical nested mirrors. The diameter of the outermost
mirror is 70 cm, and that of the innermost is 30.6 cm and the focal length is 7.5 m. The
telescope assembly produces a total collecting area of 4425 cm
2 at 1.5 keV and 1740
cm
2 at 8 keV. Moreover, there are six instruments on the board of the XMM-Newton: