The Hakucho [CORSA-B] Satellite

Corsa-B was the first X-ray astronomy Japanese satellite. Launched on 21 February 1979, it was renamed Hakucho (Japanese for swan) symbolizing one of the most interesting X-ray objects, Cyg X-1. As many other X-ray satellite launched in that period, Hakucho was designed to study and monitor transient phenomena with particular emphasis on X-ray bursts. It was still operating when the second X-ray Japanese satellite Tenma launched in 1983.

Mission Characteristics

Lifetime : 21 February 1979 - 16 Aprile 1985
Energy Range : 0.1 - 100 keV
Payload :

Very Soft X-ray (VSX) experiment 0.1-0.2 keV
Four units of proportional counters
each with eff area ~ 78 cm²
Two parallel to the spin axis FOV = 6.3° X 2.9° FWHM
two offset FOV = 24.9° X 2.9° FWHM

Soft X-ray (SFX) 1.5-30 keV Six units of proportinal counters
Parallel to the spin axis :

Two FOV 17.6 deg FWHM; eff area=69 cm² each
Two FOV 5.8 deg FWHM; eff area=40&83 cm²
Two offset FOV = 50.3° X 1.7° FWHM eff area =32 cm² each
Hard X-ray (HDX) 10-100 keV scintillator
FOV 4.4° X 10.0° FWHM eff area =45 cm²
Science Highlights:

Discovery of soft X-ray transient Cen X-4 and Apl X-1
Discovery of many burst sources
Long-term monitoring of X-ray pulsar (e.g. Vela X-1)
Discovery of 2 Hz variability in the Rapid Burster later named Quasi Period Oscillation.
Archive : No data available at HEASARC

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Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:54 EDT

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The Hakucho [CORSA-B] Satellite

Mission Characteristics