NHXM: report delle attività dal KO alla RF

Questo documento fornisce il report delle attività svolte dalla varie unità per il progetto “Supporto scientifico alla realizzazione della missione New Hard X-ray Mission: Fase B”, dalla riunione di kick-off (KO) alla riunione finale (RF)

NHXM Final Auxiliary Items Phase B designs

This document describes the architecture and design concept of Auxiliary Items foreseen in the NHXM Scientific Instrument. It has been prepared in the context of the “Accordo Attuativo della convenzione quadro ASI-INAF per il Supporto scientifico alla realizzazione della missione New Hard X-ray Mission: Fase B” with the contributions of the scientific collaboration involved in the project

The Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector for ATHENA X-IFU: a scientific assessment of the observational capabilities in the hard X-ray band

ATHENA is a large X-ray observatory, planned to be launched by ESA in 2028 towards an L2 orbit. One of the two instruments of the payload is the X-IFU: a cryogenic spectrometer based on a large array of TES microcalorimeters, able to perform integral field spectrography in the 0.2-12 keV band (2.5 eV FWHM at 6 keV). The X-IFU sensitivity is highly degraded by the particle background expected in the L2 orbit, which is induced by primary protons of both galactic and solar origin, and mostly by secondary electrons. To reduce the particle background level and enable the mission science goals, the instrument incorporates a Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector (CryoAC). It is a 4 pixel TES based detector, placed <1 mm below the main array. In this paper we report a scientific assessment of the CryoAC observational capabilities in the hard X-ray band (E>10 keV). The aim of the study has been to understand if the present detector design can be improved in order to enlarge the X-IFU scientific capability on an energy band wider than the TES array. This is beyond the CryoAC baseline, being this instrument aimed to operate as anticoincidence particle detector and not conceived to perform X-ray observations.Comment: Accepted for publication on Experimental Astronom

AGILE SCIENTIFIC DELTA-COMMISSIONING PLAN

The objective of this plan is to define the guidelines for the AGILE scientific delta- commissioning activities

The Blazar PG 1553+113 as a Binary System of Supermassive Black Holes

The BL Lac PG 1553+113 has been continuously monitored in gamma rays with Fermi-LAT for over 9 years. Its updated light curve now includes 5 iterations of a main pattern comprising a high peak and a longer trough, with a period P \sim 2.2 yr. Our analysis of 2015-2017 data confirms the occurrence in January 2017 of a new peak fitting in the previous trend. In addition, we identify secondary peaks ("twin peaks") that occur in closely symmetric pairs on both sides of most main peaks, including the last one; their occurrence is supported by correlated X-ray outbursts. We stress that the above features strongly point to binary dynamics in a system of two black holes (BHs) of some 10^8 and 10^7 M_sun. At periastron the smaller BH periodically stresses the jet j_1 launched by the heavier companion, and triggers MHD-kinetic tearing instabilities. These lead to magnetic reconnections and to acceleration of electrons that produce synchrotron emission from the optical to X-ray bands, and inverse Compton scattering into the GeV range. For the origin of the twin peaks we discuss two possibilities: a single-jet model, based on added instabilities induced in j_1 by the smaller companion BH on its inner orbital arc; and a two-jet model with the smaller BH supporting its own, precessing jet j_2 that contributes lower, specific GeV emissions. Such behaviors combining time stability with amplitude variations betray plasma instabilities driven in either jet by binary dynamics, and can provide a double signature of the long-sought supermassive BH binaries.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, accepeted by ApJ on December 21, 201

TELEMETRY AND TELECOMMAND PACKETS DEFINITION

The aim of this document is to provide the specifications of the Telemetry and Telecommand Packets of the AGILE Payload

Apparecchiature e strumentazioni locate nelle strutture dello Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica utilizzabili nell’ambito dei programmi spaziali

Viene presentata una ricognizione, il più possibile completa, delle apparecchiature e strumentazioni di potenziale interesse per lo sviluppo di progetti spaziali presenti nelle strutture dello Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) o nelle sezioni INAF presso le Università. I principali obiettivi della ricognizione sono: a) incrementare la conoscenza delle risorse distribuite nelle varie strutture e del loro stato; b) ottimizzare l'uso delle risorse già disponibili presso INAF (o nelle sezioni universitarie associate); c) incentivare la collaborazione tra gruppi INAF operanti nel settore spazio; d) identificare apparecchiature e strumentazioni che potenzialmente potrebbero essere usate per attività in conto terzi. Le 86 schede illustrative delle apparecchiature e strumentazioni di maggiore interesse rispondono a poche semplici domande: a) Tipologia e luogo dove è presente l’apparecchiatura e/o strumentazione; b) Descrizione succinta; c) Caratteristiche Tecniche; d) Se e per cosa è stata usata in passato; e) Anno di costruzione, ammodernamenti successivi e stato attuale; f) Eventuali altre informazioni di interess

AGILE as a particle detector: Magnetospheric measurements of 10-100 MeV electrons in L shells less than 1.2

We study the capability of the AGILE gamma ray space mission in detecting magnetospheric particles (mostly electrons) in the energy range 10-100 MeV. Our measurements focus on the inner magnetic shells with L ≲ 1.2 in the magnetic equator. The instrument characteristics and a quasi-equatorial orbit of ∼500 km altitude make it possible to address several important properties of the particle populations in the inner magnetosphere. We review the on board trigger logic and study the acceptance of the AGILE instrument for particle detection. We find that the AGILE effective geometric factor (acceptance) is R≃50 cm2 sr for particle energies in the range 10-100 MeV. Particle event reconstruction allows to determine the particle pitch angle with the local magnetic field with good accuracy. We obtain the pitch angle distributions for both the AGILE "pointing" phase (July 2007 to October 2009) and the "spinning" phase (November 2009 to present). In spinning mode, the whole range (0-180 degrees) is accessible every 7 min. We find a pitch angle distribution of the "dumbbell" type with a prominent depression near α = 90° which is typical of wave-particle resonant scattering and precipitation in the inner magnetosphere. Most importantly, we show that AGILE is not affected by solar particle precipitation events in the magnetosphere. The satellite trajectory intersects magnetic shells in a quite narrow range (1.0 ≲ L ≲ 1.2); AGILE then has a high exposure to a magnetospheric region potentially rich of interesting phenomena. The large particle acceptance in the 10-100 MeV range, the pitch angle determination capability, the L shell exposure, and the solar-free background make AGILE a unique instrument for measuring steady and transient particle events in the inner magnetosphere

Attività "spaziali" dell'INAF nei campi della Fisica del Sistema Solare, dell'Astrofisica e della Cosmologia

Il materiale riportato in questo documento (46 missioni spaziali, 21 programmi di ricerca e sviluppo e 6 attività di “supporto”) rappresenta uno spaccato succinto delle attività/progetti “spaziali” dell’INAF nei campi della Fisica del Sistema Solare, dell’Astrofisica e della Cosmologia aggiornato a Maggio 2020