Einstein Probe - a small mission to monitor and explore the dynamic X-ray Universe

Weimin Yuan; C. Zhang; H. Feng; S. N. Zhang; Z. X. Ling; D. Zhao; J. Deng; Y. Qiu; J. P. Osborne; P. O'Brien; R. Willingale; J. Lapington; G. W. Fraser; the Einstein Probe team

arXiv · 1506.07735

Einstein Probe - a small mission to monitor and explore the dynamic X-ray Universe

Weimin Yuan·C. Zhang·H. Feng·S. N. Zhang·Z. X. Ling·D. Zhao·J. Deng·Y. Qiu·J. P. Osborne·P. O'Brien·R. Willingale·J. Lapington·G. W. Fraser·the Einstein Probe team

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Abstract

Einstein Probe is a small mission dedicated to time-domain high-energy astrophysics. Its primary goals are to discover high-energy transients and to monitor variable objects in the $0.5-4~$keV X-rays, at higher sensitivity by one order of magnitude than those of the ones currently in orbit. Its wide-field imaging capability, featuring a large instantaneous field-of-view ($60^\circ \times60^\circ$, $\sim1.1$sr), is achieved by using established technology of micro-pore (MPO) lobster-eye optics, thereby offering unprecedentedly high sensitivity and large Grasp. To complement this powerful monitoring ability, it also carries a narrow-field, sensitive follow-up X-ray telescope based on the same MPO technology to perform follow-up observations of newly-discovered transients. Public transient alerts will be downlinked rapidly, so as to trigger multi-wavelength follow-up observations from the world-wide community. Over three of its 97-minute orbits almost the entire night sky will be sampled, with cadences ranging from 5 to 25 times per day. The scientific objectives of the mission are: to discover otherwise quiescent black holes over all astrophysical mass scales by detecting their rare X-ray transient flares, particularly tidal disruption of stars by massive black holes at galactic centers; to detect and precisely locate the electromagnetic sources of gravitational-wave transients; to carry out systematic surveys of X-ray transients and characterize the variability of X-ray sources. Einstein Probe has been selected as a candidate mission of priority (no further selection needed) in the Space Science Programme of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aiming for launch around 2020.

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Weimin Yuan, C. Zhang, H. Feng, S. N. Zhang, Z. X. Ling, D. Zhao, J. Deng, Y. Qiu, J. P. Osborne, P. O'Brien, R. Willingale, J. Lapington, G. W. Fraser, the Einstein Probe team. 2015-06-25. Einstein Probe - a small mission to monitor and explore the dynamic X-ray Universe. https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.07735

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