A coded-mask imager as monitor of Galactic X-ray sources

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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X-Ray Astronomy, X-Ray Binaries, Coded Aperture Imaging, Gs 2023+338, Ks 1741-293, Ks 1732-273, Neutron Stars, Galactic Black Holes

Scientific paper

This thesis concerns subjects from the development, calibration and scientific output of the COMIS instrument, which was launched in 1987 as part of the Roenntgen observatory in the Kvant module of the manned space station Mir. COMIS is a collaborative effort between the SRON-Laboratory for Space Research Utrecht (the Netherlands), the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) and the Space Research Institute in Moscow (Russia). It brings into practice coded-mask imaging in X-ray astronomy (at photon energies between 2 and 30 keV). Due to the wide field of view 16x16 square degrees) and an angular resolution of 2 arcmin, the instrument is capable of studying simultaneously several X-ray sources that are within the observed sky. Thus, it can monitor the behavior of persistent sources as well as watch the sky for unexpected events such as short outbursts of otherwise undetectable sources (e.g. transient sources). In conclusion, it is shown that wide-field coded-mask imaging is a valuable tool to monitor the X-ray sky. Its capability conveniently fills the gap between all-sky monitors and narrow-field instruments. On the one hand it compares to an all-sky monitor by the potential of quicker localization of short events and on the other hand it enables the simultaneous study of more than one strong X-ray source. The term 'selected-sky monitor' well characterizes such an instrument. The results stress the importance of monitoring the X-ray sky with similar instruments, e.g. the wide-field cameras currently developed at SRON-Utrecht for use aboard the Satellite per Astronomia a raggi X (SAX), an Italian-Dutch X-ray observatory which is due for launch in 1994.

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