Feasibility of Observing Gamma-ray Polarization from Cygnus X-1 Using a CubeSat
| Autor: | Hung-Hsiang Liang, Yi-Chi Chang, Hsiang-Yue, Jerome Rodriguez, Jeng-Lun Chiu, Chien-Ying Yang, Philippe Laurent, Che-Yen Chu, Chih-Hsun Lin, Hsiang-Kuang Chang |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Département d'Astrophysique (ex SAP) (DAP), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
gamma ray: polarization
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Physics::Instrumentation and Detectors Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Gamma-ray detectors Gamma-ray telescopes FOS: Physical sciences 01 natural sciences Astronomical instrumentation High Energy Physics - Experiment X-ray High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex) energy: threshold Optics cesium 0103 physical sciences CubeSat angular distribution [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det] 010303 astronomy & astrophysics Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) scintillation counter orbit 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Physics Gamma-ray astronomy Gamma-ray sources beam: polarization business.industry background Astrophysical black holes Gamma ray Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics Astronomy and Astrophysics trigger Polarization (waves) multiple scattering Automatic Keywords cerium gamma ray: emission black hole: binary Space and Planetary Science efficiency aluminum semiconductor detector business Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics numerical calculations: Monte Carlo Polarimeters |
| Zdroj: | Astron.J. Astron.J., 2020, 160 (1), pp.54. ⟨10.3847/1538-3881/ab9caf⟩ |
| DOI: | 10.3847/1538-3881/ab9caf⟩ |
| Popis: | Instruments flown on CubeSats are small. Meaningful applications of CubeSats in astronomical observations rely on the choice of a particular subject that is feasible for CubeSats. Here we report the result of a feasibility study for observing gamma-ray polarization from Cygnus X-1 using a small Compton polarimeter on board a 3U CubeSat. Silicon detectors and cerium bromide scintillators were employed in the instrument models that we discussed in this study. Through Monte Carlo simulations with Geant4-based MEGAlib package, we found that, with a 10-Ms on-axis, zenith-direction observation in a low inclination, low altitude earth orbit radiation background environment, the minimum detectable polarization degree can be down to about 10\% in 160 - 250 keV, 20\% in 250 - 400 keV, and 65\% in 400 - 2000 keV. A 3U CubeSat dedicated to observing Cygnus X-1 can therefore yield useful information on the polarization state of gamma-ray emissions from the brightest persistent X-ray black-hole binary in the sky. 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted on June 11, 2020, for publication in The Astronomical Journal |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|