An X-ray Extremely wide-field Spectroscopic Surveyor (XESS, or "chess")

Abstract

We propose an X-ray observatory, the X-ray Extremely wide-field Spectroscopic Surveyor (XESS, pronounced "Chess") to bring high energy resolution X-ray spectroscopy into the era of synoptic surveys and of time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics (TDAMM). Such an observatory is optimally suited to addressing key elements of the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

9 pages. A White Paper in Reponse to the Ad ASTRA Initiative for ExoPAG, CoPAG, PhysPAG, adapted from the Ad ASTRA proposal of the same name