XL-Calibur: a balloon-borne hard x-ray polarimetry mission

Ephraim Gau; Henric Krawczynksi; Nicole Rodriguez Cavero; Lindsey Lisalda; Kun Hu; Hisamitsu Awaki; Richard Bose; Dana Braun; Sohee Chun; Teruaki Enoto; Manel Errando; Yasushi Fukazawa; Akihiro Furusawa; Gianluigi De Geronimo; Thomas Gadson; Victor Guarino; Shuichi Gunji; Scott Heatwole; Arman Md. Hossen; Fumiya Imazato; Kazunori Ishibashi; Manabu Ishida; Nirmal Iyer; Wataru Kamogawa; Fabian Kislat; Mozsi Kiss; Takao Kitaguchi; James Lanzi; Yoshimoto Maeda; Hiroto Matake; Hironori Matsumoto; Taisei Mineta; Tsunefumi Mizuno; Takashi Okajima; Mark Peacer; Zachary Peterson; Brian Rauch; Yoshitaka Saito; Sean Spooner; Garry Simburger; Theodor-Adrian Stana; Andrew West; Hiromitsu Takahashi; Tomoshi Takeda; Mai Takeo; Toru Tamagawa; Hiroshi Tsunemi; Nagomi Uchida; Yuusuke Uchida; Keisuke Uchiyama; Edward Udinski; Eric Wulf; Yuto Yoshida

doi:10.1117/12.3020863

28 August 2024 XL-Calibur: a balloon-borne hard x-ray polarimetry mission

Ephraim Gau, Henric Krawczynksi, Nicole Rodriguez Cavero, Lindsey Lisalda, Kun Hu, Hisamitsu Awaki, Richard Bose, Dana Braun, Sohee Chun, Teruaki Enoto, Manel Errando, Yasushi Fukazawa, Akihiro Furusawa, Gianluigi De Geronimo, Thomas Gadson, Victor Guarino, Shuichi Gunji, Scott Heatwole, Arman Md. Hossen, Fumiya Imazato, Kazunori Ishibashi, Manabu Ishida, Nirmal Iyer, Wataru Kamogawa, Fabian Kislat, Mozsi Kiss, Takao Kitaguchi, James Lanzi, Yoshimoto Maeda, Hiroto Matake, Hironori Matsumoto, Taisei Mineta, Tsunefumi Mizuno, Takashi Okajima, Mark Peacer, Zachary Peterson, Brian Rauch, Yoshitaka Saito, Sean Spooner, Garry Simburger, Theodor-Adrian Stana, Andrew West, Hiromitsu Takahashi, Tomoshi Takeda, Mai Takeo, Toru Tamagawa, Hiroshi Tsunemi, Nagomi Uchida, Yuusuke Uchida, Keisuke Uchiyama, Edward Udinski, Eric Wulf, Yuto Yoshida

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume PC13103, X-Ray, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy XI; PC131030N (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020863
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

The x-ray polarization of compact objects in x-ray binaries allows us to understand the complex spacetimes surrounding these sources. XL-Calibur is a state-of-the-art, balloon-borne telescope that measures the linear polarization of stellar-mass black holes, neutron stars, and nebulae in the 15-80 keV energy band. The selected energy range allows for observing coronal emission from black holes while also enabling us to narrow down on emission models from neutron stars, pulsars, and magnetars. Early in 2024, XL-Calibur will be launched from Kiruna, Sweden for approximately 10 days to observe Cyg X-1 and Cyg X-3, or other sources chosen based on flux levels at the time of flight. Observations might be coordinated with the recently launched Imaging x-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission which measures polarization in the complimentary 2-8 keV band. Combined XL-Calibur and IXPE observations will yield information on both soft and hard x-rays allowing us to decompose the total emission from black holes into thermal disk and coronal. We discuss the characterization of the XL-Calibur CdZnTe detectors, the telescope mirror and truss setup, and preliminary results from our most recent flight.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Ephraim Gau, Henric Krawczynksi, Nicole Rodriguez Cavero, Lindsey Lisalda, Kun Hu, Hisamitsu Awaki, Richard Bose, Dana Braun, Sohee Chun, Teruaki Enoto, Manel Errando, Yasushi Fukazawa, Akihiro Furusawa, Gianluigi De Geronimo, Thomas Gadson, Victor Guarino, Shuichi Gunji, Scott Heatwole, Arman Md. Hossen, Fumiya Imazato, Kazunori Ishibashi, Manabu Ishida, Nirmal Iyer, Wataru Kamogawa, Fabian Kislat, Mozsi Kiss, Takao Kitaguchi, James Lanzi, Yoshimoto Maeda, Hiroto Matake, Hironori Matsumoto, Taisei Mineta, Tsunefumi Mizuno, Takashi Okajima, Mark Peacer, Zachary Peterson, Brian Rauch, Yoshitaka Saito, Sean Spooner, Garry Simburger, Theodor-Adrian Stana, Andrew West, Hiromitsu Takahashi, Tomoshi Takeda, Mai Takeo, Toru Tamagawa, Hiroshi Tsunemi, Nagomi Uchida, Yuusuke Uchida, Keisuke Uchiyama, Edward Udinski, Eric Wulf, and Yuto Yoshida "XL-Calibur: a balloon-borne hard x-ray polarimetry mission", Proc. SPIE PC13103, X-Ray, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy XI, PC131030N (28 August 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020863

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