arXiv subjects

Andy C. T. Kong

Publications and source records attributed to Andy C. T. Kong.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Chang'e 7 Lunar Lander Optical Camera-Telescope: Optical Astronomy from the Moon

We report the design and manufacture of a new, lightweight, wide-field, optical camera-telescope on board the Chang'e 7 lunar mission (launched in August 2026 and due for lunar touchdown in late November 2026). The camera is capable of static, panchromatic imagery within a $420-696~nm$ optical wavelength range. The camera was designed and built under the small lunar astronomy observation station program of the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) as a collaboration between the International Lunar Observatory Association of Hawaii (ILOA), the Laboratory for Space Research (LSR) of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics and Electricity (BISME). The camera has been built to meet science goals of the mission for sustainable astronomical operation over a large range of temperatures from the Moon's south pole. We report on the design and ground based preliminary performance, together with an analysis of the camera's simulated output to indicate the range of astronomical observations possible from the lunar surface given the camera's limited sensitivity and angular resolution given the modest aperture and wide field of view.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Performance Evaluation of a silicon-based 6U Cubesat detector for soft $γ$-ray astronomy

The observation of the low-energy $γ$-ray (0.1-30 MeV) sky has been significantly limited since the COMPTEL instrument was decommissioned aboard the Compton Gamma-ray Observer (CGRO) satellite in 2000. The exploration of $γ$-ray photons within this energy band, often referred to as the \say{MeV gap}, is crucial to address numerous unresolved mysteries in high-energy and multi-messenger astrophysics. Although several large MeV $γ$-ray missions have been proposed (e.g., e-ASTROGAM, AMEGO, COSI), most of these are in the planning phase, with launches not expected until the next decade, at the earliest. Recently, there has been a surge in proposed CubeSat missions as cost-effective and rapidly implementable \say{pathfinder} alternatives. A MeV CubeSat payload dedicated to $γ$-ray astronomy could serve as a valuable demonstrator for large-scale future MeV payloads. This paper proposes a $γ$-ray payload design with a Silicon-based tracker and a Ceasium-Iodide-based calorimeter. We report the results of a simulation study to assess the performance of this payload concept and compare the results with those of previous $γ$-ray instruments. As part of the performance assessment and comparison, we show that with our proposed payload design, a sensitivity better than IBIS can be achieved for energies between 0.1 and 10 MeV, and for energies up to around 1 MeV, the achieved sensitivity is comparable to COMPTEL, therefore opening up a window towards cost-effective observational astronomy with comparable performance to past missions.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Evaluation of the performance of a CdZnTe-based soft $γ$-ray detector for CubeSat payloads

The low-energy $γ$-ray (0.1-30 MeV) sky has been relatively unexplored since the decommissioning of the COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) satellite in 2000. However, the study of this part of the energy spectrum (the ``MeV gap") is crucial for addressing numerous unresolved questions in high-energy and multi-messenger astrophysics. Although several large MeV $γ$-ray missions like AMEGO and e-ASTROGAM are being proposed, they are predominantly in the developmental phase, with launches not anticipated until the next decade at the earliest. In recent times, there has been a surge in proposed CubeSat missions as cost-effective and rapidly implementable ``pathfinder" alternatives. A MeV CubeSat dedicated to $γ$-ray astronomy has the potential to serve as a demonstrator for future, larger-scale MeV payloads. This paper presents a $γ$-ray payload design featuring a CdZnTe crystal calorimeter module developed by IDEAS. We report the detailed results of simulations to assess the performance of this proposed payload and compare it with those of previous $γ$-ray instruments.

astro-ph.HE↗