First wide field-of-view X-ray observations by a lobster eye focusing telescope in orbit

Abstract

As a novel X-ray focusing technology, lobster eye micro-pore optics (MPO) feature both a wide observing field of view and true imaging capability, promising sky monitoring with significantly improved sensitivity and spatial resolution in soft X-rays. Since first proposed by Angel (1979), the optics have been extensively studied, developed and trialed over the past decades. In this Letter, we report on the first-light results from a flight experiment of the Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy ($LEIA$), a pathfinder of the wide-field X-ray telescope of the Einstein Probe mission. The piggyback imager, launched in July 2022, has a mostly un-vignetted field of view of $18.6^{\circ }\times 18.6^{\circ }$. Its spatial resolution is in the range of 4$-$7 arcmin in FWHM and the focal spot effective area is 2$-$3 cm${}^2$, both showing only mild fluctuations across the field of view. We present images of the Galactic center region, Sco X-1 and the diffuse Cygnus Loop nebular taken in snapshot observations over 0.5$-$4 keV. These are truly wide-field X-ray images of celestial bodies observed, for the first time, by a focusing imaging telescope. Initial analyses of the in-flight data show excellent agreement between the observed images and the on-ground calibration and simulations. The instrument and its characterization are briefly described, as well as the flight experiment. The results provide a solid basis for the development of the present and proposed wide-field X-ray missions using lobster eye MPO.

11 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter

References in corpus (6)

• Gravitational Waves and Gamma-rays from a Binary Neutron Star Merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A
• Second ROSAT all-sky survey (2RXS) source catalogue
• X-ray detection of a nova in the fireball phase
• Perspectives on Gamma-Ray Burst Physics and Cosmology with Next Generation Facilities
• Geant4 Simulations Of A Wide-Angle X-Ray Focusing Telescope
• X-ray performance of a customized large-format scientifc CMOS detector

Cited by in corpus (15)

• The Einstein Probe Mission
• Science objectives of the Einstein Probe mission
• The Solar Upper Transition Region Imager (SUTRI) onboard the SATech-01 satellite
• The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy Onboard the SATech-01 Satellite
• A fast X-ray transient from a weak relativistic jet associated with a type Ic-BL supernova
• A set of distinctive properties ruling the prompt emission of GRB 230307A and other long γ-ray bursts from compact object mergers
• Investigating the image lag of a scientific CMOS sensor in X-ray detection
• An Aluminum-coated sCMOS sensor for X-Ray Astronomy
• Broadband study of the Be X-ray binary RX J0520.5-6932 during its outburst in 2024
• X-ray Sources Classification Using Machine Learning: A Study with EP-WXT Pathfinder LEIA
• Observability of flashes from ejecta crashes in aspherical supernovae, with application to SN 2008D
• Long-term stability of scientific X-ray CMOS detectors
• Search for the Optical Counterpart of Einstein Probe Discovered Fast X-ray Transients from Lulin Observatory
• A 4.5-s Quasiperiodic Spectral Oscillation in GRB 230307A: Evidence for Free Precession of a Post-Merger Magnetar?
• Simulations of a 2 x 1.5D coded aperture camera for X-ray astronomy