Hard X-ray imaging and spectroscopy of the Sun with the FOXSI rocket experiment

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24244021
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Tadayuki 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 教授 (50183851)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): WATANABE Shin 宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 助教 (60446599) ; ISHIKAWA Shin-nosuke 宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 研究員 (10724685)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: X線天文学 / 宇宙線 / 太陽物理学 / CdTe半導体センサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

FOXSI is a rocket experiment to perform high sensitivity HXR observations from 4-15 keV using the new technique of HXR focusing optics. The first FOXSI flight performed in 2012 produced the first focused image of the Sun above 5 keV: a partly occulted microflare. FOXSI ’s high dynamic range was successfully demonstrated compared to the observation of the same flare by RHESSI. In order to achieve higher sensitivity,we developed a CdTe double-sided detector with finer pitch than the FOXSI DSSD for the second flight (FOXSI-2). The strip pitch is as fine as 60 μm with a 10 μm gap between strips. 128 strips are placed on each of the top and bottom surfaces and the sensitive area is 7.67 mm × 7.67 mm.The FOXSI -2 payload was successfully launched on December 11, 2014. FOXSI -2 successfully imaged HXR emissions from multiple regions and the capability of the CdTe double-sided strip detector for solar HXR observations is successfully demonstrated.

Free Research Field

宇宙物理学実験