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Einstein Probe carries 2 scientific instruments: the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), and the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT).<ref name="mpg">{{cite web |title=EinsteinProbe |url=https://www.mpe.mpg.de/7867826/EinsteinProbe |website=www.mpe.mpg.de |access-date=28 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Both telescopes utilize X-ray focusing optics.
Einstein Probe carries 2 scientific instruments: the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), and the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT).<ref name="mpg">{{cite web |title=EinsteinProbe |url=https://www.mpe.mpg.de/7867826/EinsteinProbe |website=www.mpe.mpg.de |access-date=28 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Both telescopes utilize X-ray focusing optics.


* Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT): WXT has a new optics design, called "[[lobster eye optics|lobster-eye]]", that has wider field of view.<ref name="factsheet"/><ref name="mpg"/> "Lobster-eye" optics was first tested by the [[Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy]] (LEIA) mission, launched in 2022.<ref name="factsheet"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Einstein Probe Time Domain Astronomical Information Center |url=https://ep.bao.ac.cn/ep/cms/article/view?id=91 |website=ep.bao.ac.cn |access-date=28 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.space.com/china-lobster-eye-x-ray-telescope-1st-images|title=China tests novel 'lobster eye' X-ray telescope for observing cosmic events|first=Andrew |last=Jones|date=November 25, 2022|website=Space.com}}</ref> WXT consists of 12 [[Lobster-eye optics]] sensor modules, together creating a very large instantaneous [[Field of view|field-of-view]] of 3600 [[Square degree|square degrees]]. Each module weighs 17 kg and has an electrical power consumption of just under 13 W. With the peripherals, the entire telescope weighs 251 kg and has a power consumption of 315 W.
* Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT): WXT has a new optics design, called "[[lobster eye optics|lobster-eye]]", that has wider field of view.<ref name="factsheet"/><ref name="mpg"/> "Lobster-eye" optics was first tested by the [[Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy]] (LEIA) mission, launched in 2022.<ref name="factsheet"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Einstein Probe Time Domain Astronomical Information Center |url=https://ep.bao.ac.cn/ep/cms/article/view?id=91 |website=ep.bao.ac.cn |access-date=28 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.space.com/china-lobster-eye-x-ray-telescope-1st-images|title=China tests novel 'lobster eye' X-ray telescope for observing cosmic events|first=Andrew |last=Jones|date=November 25, 2022|website=Space.com}}</ref> WXT consists of 12 [[Lobster-eye optics]] sensor modules, together creating a very large instantaneous [[Field of view|field-of-view]] of 3600 [[Square degree|square degrees]]. The nominal detection bandpass of WXT is 0.5~4.0 [[Electronvolt|keV]]. Each module weighs 17 kg and has an electrical power consumption of just under 13 W. With the peripherals, the entire telescope weighs 251 kg and has a power consumption of 315 W.


* Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT): FXT has optics adopted from [[eROSITA]], "the mirror module consists of 54 nested [[Wolter telescope|Wolter mirror]]s with a focal length of 1600 mm and an effective area of greater than 300 cm2 at 1.5 keV."<ref name="mpg"/>
* Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT): FXT has optics adopted from [[eROSITA]], "the mirror module consists of 54 nested [[Wolter telescope|Wolter mirror]]s with a focal length of 1600 mm and an effective area of greater than 300 cm2 at 1.5 [[Electronvolt|keV]]."<ref name="mpg"/>


The probe weights 1450 kg and is 3-by-3.4 metres.<ref name="factsheet"/>
The probe weights 1450 kg and is 3-by-3.4 metres.<ref name="factsheet"/>

Revision as of 01:12, 21 January 2024

Not to be confused with Einstein Observatory.
Einstein Probe
Einstein Probe artist impression
NamesAiyinsitan Tanzhen
Mission typeSpace observatory
OperatorCAS, ESA
COSPAR ID2024-007A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.58753
Websiteep.bao.ac.cn/ep/
Mission duration3 years (planned)
4 months and 8 days (ongoing)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftEinstein Probe
BusPhoenix-Eye-2
ManufacturerCAS
Launch mass1,450 kg (3,200 lb)[1]
Dimensions3 × 3.4 m (9.8 × 11.2 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date9 January 2024, 07:02 UTC[2]
RocketLong March 2C[2]
Launch siteXichang LC-3
ContractorCASC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude581 km
Apogee altitude596 km
Inclination29°
Period96 minutes
Instruments
Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT)
Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT)

Einstein Probe Logo  

The Einstein Probe (EP) is an X-ray space telescope mission by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in partnership with European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) dedicated to time-domain high-energy astrophysics.[3][4] The primary goals are "to discover high-energy transients and monitor variable objects".[5]

Scientific objectives

The primary science objectives are:[6]

  1. Identify inactive black holes to study how matter is precipitated there by detecting the transient events that take the form of X-ray flares;
  2. Detect the electromagnetic counterpart of events triggering gravitational waves such as the merger of neutron stars which will be discovered by the next generation of gravitational wave detectors;
  3. Carry out permanent monitoring of the entire sky to detect the various transient phenomena and carry out measurements of known variable X-ray sources.

Instruments

Einstein Probe carries 2 scientific instruments: the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), and the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT).[7] Both telescopes utilize X-ray focusing optics.

  • Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT): WXT has a new optics design, called "lobster-eye", that has wider field of view.[4][7] "Lobster-eye" optics was first tested by the Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA) mission, launched in 2022.[4][8][9] WXT consists of 12 Lobster-eye optics sensor modules, together creating a very large instantaneous field-of-view of 3600 square degrees. The nominal detection bandpass of WXT is 0.5~4.0 keV. Each module weighs 17 kg and has an electrical power consumption of just under 13 W. With the peripherals, the entire telescope weighs 251 kg and has a power consumption of 315 W.
  • Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT): FXT has optics adopted from eROSITA, "the mirror module consists of 54 nested Wolter mirrors with a focal length of 1600 mm and an effective area of greater than 300 cm2 at 1.5 keV."[7]

The probe weights 1450 kg and is 3-by-3.4 metres.[4]

Launch

Einstein Probe was launched on 9 January 2024, at 07:03 UTC by a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China, and successfully placed in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 600 km.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Einstein Probe factsheet". ESA. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Einstein Probe lifts off on a mission to monitor the X-ray sky". www.esa.int.
  3. ^ "Einstein Probe in a nutshell". www.esa.int. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Einstein Probe factsheet". www.esa.int. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Einstein Probe Time Domain Astronomical Information Center". ep.bao.ac.cn. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Science Objectives Overview". Einstein Probe. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "EinsteinProbe". www.mpe.mpg.de. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Einstein Probe Time Domain Astronomical Information Center". ep.bao.ac.cn. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  9. ^ Jones, Andrew (November 25, 2022). "China tests novel 'lobster eye' X-ray telescope for observing cosmic events". Space.com.

Further reading

  • Yuan, Weimin; Zhang, Chen; Chen, Yong; Ling, Zhixing (2022). "The Einstein Probe Mission". pp. 1–30. arXiv:2209.09763.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Einstein Probe.
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