CAOSP abstracts, Volume: 53, No.: 4, year: 2023

Author(s): Hudec, R.; Šimon, V.; Read, A.
Journal: Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnaté Pleso, vol. 53, no. 4, p. 136-143.
Date: 12/2023
Title: X-ray astrophysics as secondary science with ESA/China SMILE satellite
Keyword(s): ESA SMILE, SXI, X-ray astrophysics
Pages: 136 -- 143
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/caosp.2023.53.4.136
NASA ADS Abstract Service: 2023CoSka..53d.136H
Citation:
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Abstract: We present and discuss the feasibility of X-ray astrophysics with ESA--China SMILE satellite designed to investigate the Earth's magnetosphere's dynamic response to the solar wind's impact. We plan to study celestial X-ray targets as a secondary science for the onboard wide-field X-ray telescope SXI and related Czech participation in this mission. The Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). We show that SXI can also provide wide-field imaging of the sky in the soft X-ray region (E = 0.15-3 keV) and observe the long-term activity of cosmic X-ray sources. We show the stability of the orientation of the field of view of the SXI telescope; it will undergo only minor changes during several years of the planned operation. Therefore, observing the long-term soft X-ray activity of cosmic sources, e.g., those in the Magellanic Clouds, will be possible.