First Wide Field-of-view X-Ray Observations by a Lobster-eye Focusing Telescope in Orbit

Zhang, C. and Ling, Z. X. and Sun, X. J. and Sun, S. L. and Liu, Y. and Li, Z. D. and Xue, Y. L. and Chen, Y. F. and Dai, Y. F. and Jia, Z. Q. and Liu, H. Y. and Zhang, X. F. and Zhang, Y. H. and Zhang, S. N. and Chen, F. S. and Cheng, Z. W. and Fu, W. and Han, Y. X. and Li, H. and Li, J. F. and Li, Y. and Liu, P. R. and Ma, X. H. and Tang, Y. J. and Wang, C. B. and Xie, R. J. and Yan, A. L. and Zhang, Q. and Jiang, B. W. and Jin, G. and Li, L. H. and Qiu, X. B. and Su, D. T. and Sun, J. N. and Xu, Z. and Zhang, S. K. and Zhang, Z. and Zhang, N. and Bi, X. Z. and Cai, Z. M. and He, J. W. and Liu, H. Q. and Zhu, X. C. and Cheng, H. Q. and Cui, C. Z. and Fan, D. W. and Hu, H. B. and Huang, M. H. and Jin, C. C. and Li, D. Y. and Pan, H. W. and Wang, W. X. and Xu, Y. F. and Yang, X. and Zhang, B. and Zhang, M. and Zhang, W. D. and Zhao, D. H. and Bai, M. and Ji, Z. and Liu, Y. R. and Ma, F. L. and Su, J. and Tong, J. Z. and Wang, Y. S. and Zhao, Z. J. and Feldman, C. and O’Brien, P. and Osborne, J. P. and Willingale, R. and Burwitz, V. and Hartner, G. and Langmeier, A. and Müller, T. and Rukdee, S. and Schmidt, T. and Kuulkers, E. and Yuan, W. (2022) First Wide Field-of-view X-Ray Observations by a Lobster-eye Focusing Telescope in Orbit. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 941 (1). L2. ISSN 2041-8205

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Abstract

As a novel X-ray focusing technology, lobster-eye micropore optics (MPO) feature both a wide observing field of view and true imaging capability, promising sky monitoring with significantly improved sensitivity and spatial resolution in soft X-rays. Since first proposed by Angel, the optics have been extensively studied, developed and trialed over the past decades. In this Letter, we report on the first-light results from a flight experiment of the Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy, a pathfinder of the wide-field X-ray telescope of the Einstein Probe mission. The piggyback imager, launched in 2022 July, has a mostly unvignetted field of view of 18fdg6 × 18fdg6. Its spatial resolution is in the range of 4'–7' in FWHM and the focal spot effective area is 2–3 cm2, both showing only mild fluctuations across the field of view. We present images of the Galactic center region, Sco X-1, and the diffuse Cygnus Loop nebular taken in snapshot observations over 0.5–4 keV. These are truly wide-field X-ray images of celestial bodies observed, for the first time, by a focusing imaging telescope. Initial analyses of the in-flight data show excellent agreement between the observed images and the on-ground calibration and simulations. The instrument and its characterization are briefly described, as well as the flight experiment. The results provide a solid basis for the development of the present and proposed wide-field X-ray missions using lobster-eye MPO.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Eprint Open STM Press > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Unnamed user with email admin@eprint.openstmpress.com
Date Deposited: 29 Apr 2023 07:43
Last Modified: 20 Sep 2023 08:05
URI: http://library.go4manusub.com/id/eprint/150

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