Astrophysics in the 21st Century

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Astrophysics in the 21st Century
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Current directions in Space Science
General purpose, high-specification

• Chandra
• Astro-E
• XMM (multi-l)
• Integral
• NGST
• FIRST
• XEUS
• Constellation-X
• LISA

XMM
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Current directions in Space Astronomy
Themed observatories

• SWIFT (multi-l) investigating g-ray
  bursts
• GAIA, FAME (Hipparcos) mapping the Galaxy
• Planck (COBE) measuring the CMB

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Directions in the future

• Increasing trend for themed missions
• NASAs Great Observatories and ESAs
  Cornerstone Missions
• Multi-l observatories

• Better, faster and cheaper

• Throughput
• Spectral and spatial resolution
• Timing

• Broadband simultaneity
• Photometric conditions
• No atmosphere / weather / moonlight

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Scientific breakthroughs
Spectral throughput spatial

• Cosmology
• Relativity
• Astroparticle physics

• XEUS launch 2010
• 1-10eV resolution over 0.1-30keV
• 100x deeper than XMM
• 2 HEW _at_1keV

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Scientific breakthroughs
Spectral throughput spatial
Simulation of XEUS spectrum of OVIII line at
0.65keV in AR Lac. 100 sec exposure
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Scientific breakthroughs
Spatial throughput spectral
Image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A taken
with the Chandra spacecraft. 1 resolution. Shows
filaments of iron, silicon and sulphur and
absorption by dusty gas.
Also evolution of clusters, galaxies quasars
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Scientific breakthroughs
Timing throughput spectral
Mapping structures in binary systems and the
geometry of the complex gas distributions in AGN
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Astronomers wishlist

• Multi-l data now essential for many classes of
  object
• High throughput 100x XMM from XEUS in 10 years
• Spectral resolution eg a few eV over 0.1-50
  keV
• Spatial resolution 1/10 arcsec in EUV/X-rays
• Timing resolution - millisecs for bright
  sources

• priority for all missions

• Essential for high-res timing and spectroscopy
• Conveyor-belt approach (eg Constellation-X)