SIXE: An X-Ray Experiment for the MINISAT Platform

ISSN： 0004-640X

Source： Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol.276, Iss.1, 2001-01, pp. : 39-48

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Abstract

SIXE (Spanish Italian X-ray Experiment) is an X-ray detector with geometric area of 2300 cm^2, formed by four identical gas-filled Multicell Proportional Counters, and devoted to study the long term spectroscopy of selected X-ray sources in the energy range 3–50 keV. The main characteristics of SIXE are: time accuracy of 1 microsecond, spectral resolution of 5% for E > 35 keV and 46/√E% for E <35 kev,="" continuum="" sensitivity="" (3σ="" in="" 10^5="" s)="" of="" 2="" ×10^-6="" ph="" cm^-2="" s^-1="" kev^-1,="" and="" line="" sensitivity="" (3σin="" 10^5="" s)="" of="" 8="" ×="" 10^-6="" ph="" cm^-2="" s^-1.="" the="" size="" of="" the="" instruments="" and="" the="" requirements="" of="" the="" payload="" (weight="" 103="" kg,="" full="" dimensions="" 660="" ×="" 660="" ×="" 450="" mm^3,="" power="" budget=""></35>< 60="" w,="" on-board="" memory="" 2="" gbits,="" telemetry="" rate="">< 100="" kbps)="" make="" this="" experiment="" fully="" compatible="" with="" the="" minisat="" platform.="" the="" main="" scientific="" goal="" of="" sixe="" is="" the="" study="" of="" short="" and="" long="" term="" variability="" of="" some="" of="" the="" most="" important="" x-ray="" sources.="" to="" do="" that="" a="" few="" selected="" extragalactic="" and="" galactic="" x-ray="" sources="" will="" be="" selected="" to="" perform="" a="" dedicated="" and="" extensive="" monitoring="" program.="" the="" mission="" will="" provide="" in="" this="" way="" the="" unique="" opportunity="" for="" the="" study="" of="" x-ray="" sources="" with="" a="" temporal="" accuracy="" of="" 1="" microsecond="" all="" through="" the="" time="" range="" 10^-5="" :10^7="" s.="">