Concept of a CubeSat-based hard x-ray imaging polarimeter: cipher

Hirokazu Odaka; Tomoaki Kasuga; Kosuke Hatauchi; Tsubasa Tamba; Satoshi Takashima; Hiromasa Suzuki; Yuki Aizawa; Aya Bamba; Taihei Watanabe; Sorato Nammoku; Atsushi Tanimoto

doi:10.1117/12.2560615

13 December 2020 Concept of a CubeSat-based hard x-ray imaging polarimeter: cipher

Hirokazu Odaka, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kosuke Hatauchi, Tsubasa Tamba, Satoshi Takashima, Hiromasa Suzuki, Yuki Aizawa, Aya Bamba, Taihei Watanabe, Sorato Nammoku, Atsushi Tanimoto

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11444, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 114445V (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2560615
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

We propose a novel concept of a ultracompact hard X-ray imaging polarimeter system that utilizes the combination of a fine-pixel CMOS imaging sensor and a narrow field-of-view coded aperture mask with multiple different random patterns. An instrument using this concept can be installed in the cost-effective 6U CubeSat mission cipher, providing us a quick opportunity to demonstrate potentials of the semiconductor photoabsorption-type polarimeter by realizing imaging polarimetry of the brightest objects in an energy band of 10–30 keV. Polarization of this energy band, which is the lower part of hard X-rays, has been unexplored in spite of its great scientific importance. The science targets of cipher include particle acceleration at relativistic shocks in the Crab Nebula, the accretion flow geometry in Cygnus X-1, and the anisotropy of electrons accelerated by bright solar flares. We show by proof-of-concept experiments in SPring-8 that a CMOS sensor with a pixel size of 2.5 µm has polarization sensitivity at energies of 10, 16, and 24 keV with modulation factors of 4.24% ±0.03%, 11.82%±0.06%, and 15.15%±0.25%, respectively. We also demonstrate that the coded aperture imaging with the different random patterns achieves artifact-reduced image decoding with an angular resolution of 30 arcseconds. The combination of these methods can be naturally extended to imaging polarimetry with high energy and angular resolutions.

Citation Download Citation

Hirokazu Odaka, Tomoaki Kasuga, Kosuke Hatauchi, Tsubasa Tamba, Satoshi Takashima, Hiromasa Suzuki, Yuki Aizawa, Aya Bamba, Taihei Watanabe, Sorato Nammoku, and Atsushi Tanimoto "Concept of a CubeSat-based hard x-ray imaging polarimeter: cipher", Proc. SPIE 11444, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 114445V (13 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2560615

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available