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The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): science overview

Authors :
Javier A. García
Daniel Stern
Kristin Madsen
Miles Smith
Brian Grefenstette
Marco Ajello
Jason Alford
Adlyka Annuar
Matteo Bachetti
Mislav Baloković
Ricarda S. Beckmann
Stefano Bianchi
Daniela Biccari
Peter Boorman
Murray Brightman
Johannes Buchner
Esra Bulbul
Chien-Ting Chen
Francesca Civano
Joel Coley
Riley M. T. Connors
Melania Del Santo
Laura Di Gesu
Paul A. Draghis
P. Chris Fragile
Andrés Gúrpide
Manuele Gangi
Suvi Gezari
Fiona Harrison
Elias Kammoun
Giorgio Lanzuisi
Bret Lehmer
Anne Lohfink
Renee Ludlam
Stefano Marchesi
Lea Marcotulli
Raffaella Margutti
Megan Masterson
Andrea Merloni
Matthew Middleton
Kaya Mori
Alberto Moretti
Kirpal Nandra
Kerstin Perez
Ryan W. Pfeifle
Ciro Pinto
Joanna Piotrowska
Gabriele Ponti
Katja Pottschmidt
Peter Predehl
Simonetta Puccetti
Arne Rau
Stephen Reynolds
Andrea Santangelo
Daniele Spiga
John A. Tomsick
Núria Torres-Albà
Dominic J. Walton
Daniel Wilkins
Joern Wilms
Will Zhang
Xiurui Zhao
Source :
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, Vol 11 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2024.

Abstract

To answer NASA’s call for a sensitive X-ray observatory in the 2030s, we present the High Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P) mission concept. HEX-P is designed to provide the required capabilities to explore current scientific questions and make new discoveries with a broadband X-ray observatory that simultaneously measures sources from 0.2 to 80 keV. HEX-P’s main scientific goals include: 1) understand the growth of supermassive black holes and how they drive galaxy evolution; 2) explore the lower mass populations of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and stellar-mass black holes in the nearby universe; 3) explain the physics of the mysterious corona, the luminous plasma close to the central engine of accreting compact objects that dominates cosmic X-ray emission; and 4) find the sources of the highest energy particles in the Galaxy. These goals motivate a sensitive, broadband X-ray observatory with imaging, spectroscopic, and timing capabilities, ensuring a versatile platform to serve a broad General Observer (GO) and Guest Investigator (GI) community. In this paper, we present an overview of these mission goals, which have been extensively discussed in a collection of more than a dozen papers that are part of this Research Topic volume. The proposed investigations will address key questions in all three science themes highlighted by Astro2020, including their associated priority areas. HEX-P will extend the capabilities of the most sensitive low- and high-energy X-ray satellites currently in orbit and will complement existing and planned high-energy, time-domain, and multi-messenger facilities in the next decade.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2296987X
Volume :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.9115eae4e0d4da8b9a73e288ec48f9e
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2024.1471585