Extreme uv/x-ray survey satellite mission. Report on phase A study

Technical Report · Thu Apr 27 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6225589

The phase A study of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV, wavelength range 100 to 1000 A) / soft X ray (XUV, 15 to 250 A) survey satellite (EXUV) for all-sky survey of stellar sources is reported. Two independent grazing incidence telescopes of the nested Wolter type, each of 60 cm aperture, are proposed. The focal plane package of the EUV telescope consists of a micro-channel plate detector and a set of optimized bandpass filters (140 to 280 A, 170 to 490 A, 400 to 570 A, 475 to 715 A), providing 4 color photometry. The XUV focal plane package contains a thin (15 to 250 A) and a thick (15 to 150 A) window position-sensitive proportional counter and a gas scintillation proportional counter. Because of the better spectral resolution, the lastmentioned detector will be used for more detailed spectral studies of the diffuse XUV emission. The mission concept envisages a spinning spacecraft launched into a two-day highly eccentric equatorial orbit (apogee 120,000 km) by Ariane using a dual launch configuration. All-sky survey is achieved by mounting the telescope axes perpendicular to the spin axis of the body-stabilized spacecraft. The axis is pointed to the sun at the perigee of the orbit by a precession maneuver, giving a series of slightly overlapping great circle scans. For extended observations of particular sources, a 30 deg offset capability is included. Data is transmitted in real time at a constant rate via an experiment buffer to ESA ground stations.

• Research Organization: European Space Agency, 75 - Paris (France)
• OSTI ID: 6225589
• Report Number(s): N-79-11081
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SPECTROMETERS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
GAS SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
POSITION SENSITIVE DETECTORS
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETERS
X-RAY SPECTROMETERS