Extraordinary X-Ray Observatory Excites Astronomers

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Extraordinary X-Ray Observatory Excites Astronomers ● Analyses by Simon Mitton Featured Analyses Space astronomy zooms aloft in physics Physics Top Ten Papers What's Hot In... Hot Papers this period, as technical Rank Papers Cites Rank descriptions of a unique X-ray observatory Special Topics May- Mar- grab places #2 and #3. The Wilkinson Jun 08 Apr 08 Microwave Anisotropy Probe again takes 1 D.N. Spergel, et al., "Three-year 148 1 ● Data & Rankings pole position: #1 charts the cosmological Wilkinson Microwave implications and is highly cited because it Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Sci-Bytes is the standard source document for values observations: Implications for Fast Breaking Papers of the fundamental parameters that cosmology," Astrophys. J. describe our universe. Papers #2 and #3 Suppl. Ser., 170(2): 377-408, New Hot Papers describe the Suzaku observatory and its June 2007. [13 U.S. and Emerging Research Fronts imaging spectrometer. Suzaku mission Canadian institutions] *178TD Fast Moving Fronts research scientists have already produced 2 K. Mitsuda, et al., "The X-ray 35 5 100 research papers in 2007-8, all of which observatory Suzaku," Pub. Research Front Maps cite #2 and #3. Next on the grid is high flier Astron. Soc. Japan, 59(SP1): S1-7, 25 January 2007. [42 Current Classics #4 on the third Japanese solar observatory, institutions worldwide] *139ON Top Topics Hinode (sunrise), carrying three major K. Koyama, et al., "X-ray 35 9 telescopes, all of which have made 3 Rising Stars imaging spectrometer (XIS) on successful first light observations. New Entrants board Suzaku," Pub. Astron. Suzaku is a joint Japanese-U.S. satellite Soc. Japan, 59(SP1): S23-33, Country Profiles 25 January 2007. [12 Japanese for X-ray astronomy, and it is the fifth such and U.S. institutions] *139ON rocket-science mission from the Japanese 4 T. Kosugi, et al., "The Hinode 34 † ● About Science Watch space agency in the past 25 years. As #2 (Solar-B) Mission: An overview," and #3 explain, Suzaku has four X-ray Solar Physics, 243(1): 3-17, Methodology telescopes, each equipped with a focal June 2007. [8 Japanese, U.S., plane low-energy X-ray spectrometer and Archives and U.K. institutions] *215JB CCD. With this quartet, Suzaku has the G. Hinshaw, et al., "Three-year 28 † Contact Us 5 best spectral resolution of any cosmic X- Wilkinson Microwave RSS Feeds ray instrument. Additionally, the satellite Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) carries a hard X-ray detector sensitive to observations: Temperature the 10-600 keV band. This detector analysis," Astrophys. J. Suppl. extends the bandpass of the Suzaku Ser., 170(2): 288-334, June 2007. [14 U.S. and Canadian observatory to gamma-ray energies, thus institutions] *178TD allowing broadband studies of celestial objects.

The detector’s high sensitivity has opened up X-ray variability studies, an important step towards understanding the behavior of 6 J.B. Pendry [see also], D. 27 7 jets in sources such as Cyg X-1, a binary Schurig, D.R. Smith, star consisting of a blue supergiant, a black "Controlling electromagnetic hole, and an accretion disk. The detector fields," Science, 312(5781): can be used as a wide field monitor of 1780-2, 23 June 2006. (Imperial bright X-ray transients, gamma-ray bursts, College London, U.K.; Duke U., Durham, NC] *055LS and solar flares. The unique capability of the satellite is its ability to cover an 7 M. Tegmark, et al., 20 8 enormous energy range simultaneously. "Cosmological constraints from the SDSS luminous red That’s important because Suzaku is galaxies," Phys. Rev. D, 74(12): capable of studying in detail both thermal no. 123507, December 2006. and non-thermal phenomena, a first in X- [36 institutions worldwide] ray astronomy. *121QJ In September 2008 the Johns Hopkins 8 A.L. Westerling, et al., 18 † University hosted a one-day workshop to "Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest review the scientific advances made in the wildfire activity," Science, 313 first three years of operation. At the (5789): 940-3, 18 August 2006. workshop, the U.S. Suzaku Project [Scripps Inst. Oceanography, La Scientist Dr. Rob Petre (NASA Goddard Jolla, CA; U. Calif., Merced; Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland) USGS, La Jolla, CA; U. Arizona, showcased three big questions for which Tucson] *074MR Suzaku is providing answers. What is the 9 J.Y. Kim, et al., "Efficient 18 † nature of spacetime near black holes? tandem polymer solar cells What is dark energy? And how do cosmic fabricated by all-solution processing," Science, 317 accelerators work? (5835): 222-5, 13 July 2007. [U. The strong gravitational field near a black Calif., Santa Barbara; Gwangju hole can be probed by this satellite through Inst. Sci. Tech., Korea] *189DC broadband spectroscopy of many X-ray 10 U. Leonhardt, "Optical 17 † sources in our Galaxy. Galactic black holes conformal mapping," Science, and neutron stars are, in effect, 312(5781): 1777-80, 23 June 2006. [U. St. Andrews, U.K.] laboratories for research into general *55LS relativity. Suzaku provides a handle on the SOURCE: Thomson Reuter's Hot Papers Database. size of the accreting object, and thus flags Read the Legend. up binaries containing a stellar mass black hole. That’s because the time scale for flickering in the intensity of X-rays is a direct measure of the light travel time across the object.

Suzaku probes the interstellar medium and supernova remnants in its quest to get a better grasp of the abundances of elements that are created in supernova explosions. As an example of what can be achieved by Suzaku, consider Type 1a supernova explosions, which are of central importance to supernova cosmology. It is absolutely imperative to improve our knowledge of the physics of these explosions because they provide "standard candles" at great distances where the acceleration of the universe is detectable. Suzaku measurements of the abundances of rare elements in a supernova remnant in our Galaxy show that the initial trigger was a carbon explosion at the center of a star, followed by a slow burn, or delayed detonation of material outside the central core. The point being that a Type 1a supernova is a controlled explosion, which is good for a standard candle, rather than a shattering firework display with chaotic physics. Further contributions to supernova physics come from Suzaku’s imaging of ejecta distribution in supernova remnants in the Galaxy.

The satellite holds much promise for further discoveries in the next few years of operation. Spectroscopy will be carried out of all active galactic nuclei (AGNs) discovered by the Swift gamma-ray observatory. Since AGNs trace the large scale structure of the universe, the study will contribute towards solving the mystery of dark matter. And the good news continues: a snapshot survey of 500 clusters of galaxies will shed fresh light on dark energy.

Dr. Simon Mitton is an associate of the department for History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, U.K.

Keywords: Suzaku, X-ray astronomy, Hinode, solar flares, black holes, supernovae, dark matter, Rob Petre, X-ray spectrometry.

What's Hot In... : What's Hot in Physics Menu : Extraordinary X-Ray Observatory Excites Astronomers - November/December 2008

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