Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

The ASTRO-H mission

Y. Fukazawa
On behalf of the ASTRO-H team

Abstract:

The ASTRO-H mission is the sixth Japanese X-ray satellite in a series of highly successful X-ray missions developed by the institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), with a planned launch in 2016. The ASTRO-H mission is equipped with a suite of four-type sensitive instruments with the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E>3keV and a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from sott X-rays to gamma-rays. The simultaneous broad band pass, coupled with the high spectral resolution of dE<7eV of rhe micro-calorimeter, will enable a wide variety of important science themes to be pursued. ASTRO-H is expected to provide breakthrough results in scientific areas as diverse as the large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution, the behavior of matter in the gravitational strong field regime, the physical conditions in sites of cosmic-ray acceleration, and the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters at different redshifts. Multiwavelength studies with Fermi will provide us many important scientific topics. Currently, integration test has almost successfully finished at Tsukuba Space Center, and initial operation planning is going on under discussion.