CATCH: Chasing All Transients Constellation Hunters Space Mission

Abstract

In time-domain astronomy, a substantial number of transients will be discovered by multi-wavelength and multi-messenger observatories, posing a great challenge for follow-up capabilities. We have thus proposed an intelligent X-ray constellation, the Chasing All Transients Constellation Hunters (CATCH) space mission. Consisting of 126 micro-satellites in three types, CATCH will have the capability to perform follow-up observations for a large number of different types of transients simultaneously. Each satellite in the constellation will carry lightweight X-ray optics and use a deployable mast to increase the focal length. The combination of different optics and detector systems enables different types of satellites to have multiform observation capabilities, including timing, spectroscopy, imaging, and polarization. Controlled by the intelligent system, different satellites can cooperate to perform uninterrupted monitoring, all-sky follow-up observations, and scanning observations with a flexible field of view (FOV) and multi-dimensional observations. Therefore, CATCH will be a powerful mission to study the dynamic universe. Here, we present the current design of the spacecraft, optics, detector system, constellation configuration and observing modes, as well as the development plan.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy. 43 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables

References in corpus (19)

• Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger
• The Swift X-ray Telescope
• The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Mission
• Magnetars
• The eROSITA X-ray telescope on SRG
• The Zwicky Transient Facility: Science Objectives
• The MAXI Mission on the ISS: Science and Instruments for Monitoring All Sky X-Ray Images
• An Overview of the Performance and Scientific Results from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)
• A study of 315 glitches in the rotation of 102 pulsars
• Second ROSAT all-sky survey (2RXS) source catalogue
• Tidal Disruption Events
• An efficient photoelectric X-ray Polarimeter for the study of Black Holes and Neutron Stars
• Overview to the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) Satellite
• The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission - eXTP
• The THESEUS space mission concept: science case, design and expected performances
• PolarLight: a CubeSat X-ray Polarimeter based on the Gas Pixel Detector
• HUBS: A dedicated hot circumgalactic medium explorer
• Geant4 Simulations Of A Wide-Angle X-Ray Focusing Telescope
• A Comparison of Trapped Particle Models in Low Earth Orbit

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Simulation Studies for the First Pathfinder of the CATCH Space Mission
• Dynamical Measurement of Supermassive Black Hole Masses: QPE Timing Method