SAX

Description

SAX is the X-Ray Astronomy Satellite selected by the Italian National Space Plan for inclusion in the Science Plan. The objective of the mission is to perform spectroscopic and time variability studies of celestial X-ray sources in the energy band from 1 to 200 keV, including an all-sky monitoring investigation of transients in the 2-30 keV energy range. The payload includes the following narrow-field detectors coaligned to a common pointing axis: (1) four X-ray imaging concentrators sensitive from 1 to 10 keV (one of them extending down to 0.1 keV), (2) one gas scintillation proportional counter sensitive from 3 to 12 keV, and (3) a sodium iodide scintillator crystal in phoswich configuration operating from 15 to 200 keV. At 90 deg to the axis of the narrow field instruments is an array of three identical wide field camera units sensitive from 2 to 30 keV. The SAX mission payload and science program is under the responsibility of a consortium of Italian institutes together with institutes from Holland. The participation of the Space Science Department of ESA is also foreseen. A listing of the SAX Consortium of Institutes is given in Appendix B8.