VTXO: the Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations

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dc.contributor.authorKrizmanic, John
dc.contributor.authorShah, Neerav
dc.contributor.authorHarding, Alice
dc.contributor.authorCalhoun, Phil
dc.contributor.authorPurves, Lloyd
dc.contributor.authorWebster, Cassandra
dc.contributor.authorStochaj, Steven
dc.contributor.authorRankin, Kyle
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorPark, Hyeongjun
dc.contributor.authorBoucheron, Laura
dc.contributor.authorKota, Krishna
dc.contributor.authorCorcoran, Michael
dc.contributor.authorShrader, Chris
dc.contributor.authorNaseri, Asal
dc.date.accessioned2020-07-16T18:23:50Z
dc.date.available2020-07-16T18:23:50Z
dc.date.issued2020-06-22
dc.description.abstractThe Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Frensel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with 1 km focal length and with nearly 50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. Laboratory characterization of PFLs have demonstrated near diffraction-limited angular resolution in the X-ray band, but they require long focal lengths to achieve this quality of imaging. VTXO is formed by using precision formation flying of two SmallSats: a smaller, 6U OpticsSat that houses the PFLs and navigation beacons while a larger, ESPA-class DetectorSat contains an X-ray camera, a charged-particle radiation monitor, a precision star tracker, and the propulsion for the formation flying. The baseline flight dynamics uses a highly-elliptical supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to allow the inertial formation to form and hold around the 90,000 km apogee for 10 hours of the 32.5-hour orbit with nearly a year mission lifetime. The guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) for the formation flying uses standard CubeSat avionics packages, a precision star tracker, imaging beacons on the OpticsSat, and a radio ranging system that also serves as an inter-satellite communication link. VTXO's fine angular resolution enables measuring the environments nearly an order of magnitude closer to the central engines of bright compact X-ray sources compared to the current state of the art. This X-ray imaging capability allows for the study of the effects of dust scattering nearer to the central objects such as Cyg X-3 and GX 5-1, for the search for jet structure nearer to the compact object in X-ray novae such as Cyg X-1 and GRS 1915+105, and for the search for structure in the termination shock of in the Crab pulsar wind nebula. The VTXO development was supported as one of the selected 2018 NASA Astrophysics SmallSat Study (AS3) missions.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported under NASA research announcement, NNH18ZDA001N-AS3 via proposal 18-AS318-0027 at NASA/GSFC, grant 80NSSC19K0123 at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) , and grant 80NSSC19K0695 at New Mexico State University (NMSU) and under NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice NNH15ZHA003C at NMSU by grant NM-NNX15AM73A.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://arxiv.org/abs/2006.12174en_US
dc.format.extent5 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articles preprintsen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2xgtf-ghe0
dc.identifier.citationJohn Krizmanic et al., VTXO: the Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations, https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.12174en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/19176
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Physics Department
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.rightsThis is a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
dc.titleVTXO: the Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observationsen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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