Astro-H Stanford 119 vii 2011

Scientific Opportunities

Roger BlandfordKIPAC

Stanford

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Astro-H Science• HXI

– 5-80 keV, 2’, ~100’2, 0.03 m2, ~10 mCrab, 10ms

• SGD– 40-600 keV, ~2keV, 0.02 m2, ~ mCrab, polarimetry

• SXI– 0.4-12 keV, 2’, ~1000’2, 0.04 m2, ~100nCrab, 4s

• SXS– 0.3-12 keV, 3’2, 0.02 m2, R~1000

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2014

Suzaku ++ NuSTAR

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The Future of X-ray Telescopes

• Reformulation of ESA program– ATHENA, daughter?? of XEUS???– L class selection. February 2012, 3->2?– First launch 2020?

• NASA program– NuSTAR, GEMS, Explorers?– AO for concept studies?

• eROSITA, ASTROSAT

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ATHENA• Reformulation of ESA L-class• Downselect in Feb 2012 3->2?• Launch >2020

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NuSTAR

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• 2012-14+, Pegasus• Compact object census

– Galactic/extragalactic (XRB)• SNR/nucleosynthesis• AGN jets

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ASTROSAT• 2012? -2017• Multi-wavelength monitoring, HX(UV) survey,

spectroscopy

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eROSITA

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2013 launch w SRG0.5-10keVData collaboration?

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The Future of X-ray Astrophysics • X-ray astronomy has always been a technique–

driven field– ->arcsecond, eV, ms resolution, nCrab sensitivity!

• Most astronomical sources are observed– Pulsars, protostars, planets…

• Most X-ray astrophysics is now multi-l– -and watch out for GW, VHE ns, cosmic rays…

• Have to learn how to incorporate new observations with lost capability– Chandra!

• Poorly understood processes in different sources.– Thermal conduction, viscosity, shocks… seek scalings

• Simulations are increasingly important– Clusters, black holes supernovae..

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Science Opportunities

• Intergalactic Gas • Galactic Gas • Relativistic Astrophysics• Particle Acceleration • Stars and Planets

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Intergalactic Gas• Standard cosmological model

– Kinematics LCDM, H0…• IGM density, temperature, entropy, composition

– Simulation and measurement– Missing baryons– EoR from radio astronomy

• Clusters of galaxies – Found and measured by SZ, lensing, optical….– Bounded by strong shocks?– Subject to instabilities?– Dark matter and cosmic rays

• Cosmological Probes– w, w’? mn…

• M-L, M-T scaling, bias, mergers

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Galactic Gas• Black Hole - Galaxy connection and co-

evolution– Mergers, binary black holes

• Evolution of M – s relation?

• Gas flow into galactic nuclei– Feeding of disks

• Bars, magnetic field, dynamical friction?

• Outflows from disks– Obscured AGN – torus, warped disk or wind

• Escape velocity? Momentum- or energy-driven

• AGN jets– M’, S? collimation, particle acceleration

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Relativistic Astrophysics• Massive black holes

– Test/use Kerr metric• Fe lines, reverberation, location of continuum source• Stellar capture, tidal disruption

– BH Evolution – Central Dogma -M, M’, S• Winds, BALQs, jets => dynamics of disk-hole interaction• 4D simulations

• Stellar Black Holes – QPOs, Fe lines -> S (Quasars for the impatient)– ULX’s, GRBs?

• Neutron Stars– M-R relation -> EOS, metric of rapidly spinning neutron stars– Magnetars– Astroseismology, QPOs

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Particle Acceleration• Cosmic acceleration impressive!

– Stars-Gev, AGN-TeV, PWN/SNR-PeV, UHECR-ZeV• What?

– Hadrons (p-Fe?) vs leptons, (e--e+?)• Blazars are leptonic

– Magnetic field amplification?• Especially at shocks

• Where?– Shocks, line and sheet currents, contact discontinuities,

turbulence…• SNRs, Jets, Clusters• PWN, Crab variation…

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Stars and Planets

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• Normal stars and star clusters– Imaging and spectroscopy

• Protostars – Four types of protostar detected in X-rays– Disk coronae

• Exoplanets– 565 certified , 1235 candidates– Pushing down to earth masses– Habitability??

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Summary• There is a rapidly changing landscape in

X-ray astronomy• Astro-H is (remarkably) still on track• Great science opportunities studying

intergalactic and galactic gas, relativistic astrophysics, particle acceleration, stars and planets

• Must be executed in total observational context

• Current science program is exciting and robust but some adjustment of priorities may be called for 19 vii 2011