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The MAXI Mission on the ISS: Science and Instruments for Monitoring All-Sky X-Ray Images
The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) mission is the first astronomical payload to be installed on the Japanese Experiment Module — Exposed Facility (JEM-EF or Kibo-EF) on the International Space Station. It has two types of X-ray slit cameras with wide FOVs and two kinds of X-ray detectors cons...
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Published in: | Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 2009-10, Vol.61 (5), p.999-1010 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) mission is the first astronomical payload to be installed on the Japanese Experiment Module — Exposed Facility (JEM-EF or Kibo-EF) on the International Space Station. It has two types of X-ray slit cameras with wide FOVs and two kinds of X-ray detectors consisting of gas proportional counters covering the energy range of 2 to 30 keV and X-ray CCDs covering the energy range of 0.5 to 12 keV. MAXI will be more powerful than any previous X-ray All Sky Monitor payloads, being able to monitor hundreds of Active Galactic Nuclei. A realistic simulation under optimal observation conditions suggests that MAXI will provide all-sky images of X-ray sources of
$\sim $
20 mCrab (
$\sim $
7
$\times$
10
$^{-10} $
erg cm
$^{-2} $
s
$^{-1}$
in the energy band of 2–30 keV) from observations during one ISS orbit (90 min),
$\sim $
4.5 mCrab for one day, and
$\sim $
2 mCrab for one week. The final detectability of MAXI could be
$\sim $
0.2 mCrab for two years, which is comparable to the source confusion limit of the MAXI field of view (FOV). The MAXI objectives are: (1) to alert the community to X-ray novae and transient X-ray sources, (2) to monitor long-term variabilities of X-ray sources, (3) to stimulate multi-wavelength observations of variable objects, (4) to create unbiased X-ray source cataloges, and (5) to observe diffuse cosmic X-ray emissions, especially with better energy resolution for soft X-rays down to 0.5 keV. |
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ISSN: | 0004-6264 2053-051X |
DOI: | 10.1093/pasj/61.5.999 |