Jet-X at MSSL

MOXE

The MOnitoring X-ray Experiment (MOXE) is an X-ray all-sky monitor that will monitor several hundred X-ray sources on a daily basis, and will be the first instrument to monitor most of the X-ray sky most of the time. MOXE will alert users of more sensitive instruments on Russia's giant high energy astrophysics observatory and of other instruments to transient activity. MOXE consists of an array of 6 X-ray pinhole cameras, sensitive from 2 to 25 keV, which views 4 pi steradians (except for a 20 X 80 square degrees patch which includes the Sun). The pinhole apertures of 0.625 X 2.556 square cm imply an angular resolution of 2.4 X 9.7 square degrees(FWHM on-axis). The flight instrument will mass approximately 118 kg and draw 38 Watts. For a non-focussing all-sky instrument that is limited by sky background, the limiting sensitivity is a function only of detector area. MOXE will, for a 24 hrs exposure, have a sensitivity of approximately 2 mCrab. For more information see the MOXE Homepage.

Detector area 32.0 X 32.0 cm2
Photon detector depth 1.0 cm
Strongback area blockage 14% (normal incidence)
Sun shield area blockage 0 (3 modules), 10 (2) or 14 (1)
Aperture area 1.6 cm2
Effective area 1.4 f cm2 at 6 keV where f is between 0 and 1
Distance aperture - detector 15.0 cm
Field of View (FWZR) 93.7 X 93.7 sq deg (2.245 sr)
Angular resolution 2.4 X 9.7 sq deg (FWHM on-axis)
Detector resolution 0.5 cm FWHM at 3 keV
Detector readout resolution 0.25 cm (128 X 128 pixels)
Active photon energy range 2 to 25 keV, but commandable
Photon energy resolution 20% FWHM at 6 keV
Photon energy readout resolution 16 channels
Timing resolution commandable, 4 ms at best
Detector background 10 cts/s (3-10 keV)
Sky background 6 to 7 cts/s (3-10 keV)
Crab intensity 1.2 cts/s/cm2 (3-10 keV)

The above information was taken from the MOXE Homepage

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This page is maintained by Dr. Jonathan Mittaz
Last modified 9 June 1997.
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