X-ray microcalorimeters for Astro-E2 and high-energy astrophysics

Abstract: The Japan/US Suzaku (formerly Astro-E2) astrophysics mission has been successfully launched. Suzaku is a powerful new orbiting observatory for studying extremely energetic processes in the universe. Sensitive X-ray spectrometers have been designed to enable precise measurements of high-energy processes in stars, supernova remnants, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the environments around neutron stars and black holes. One of the instruments is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer (XRS) that features a 32-pixel array of microcalorimeters with 6eV (FWHM) spectral resolution, the first such device to be placed into orbit. We will describe the capabilities of the XRS instrument and present some of the very early in-flight results, which clearly show that this new technology can work extremely well in space. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]