The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission is a future satellite designed to study extreme states of matter density, gravity, and magnetism. The program is to be led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and universities in China, with partnerships with various European institutions. It is intended to be launched in 2027.
Mission Characteristics
Lifetime
2027–
Lifetime
2027–
Payload
Instrument
Characteristic
Details
Spectroscopic Focusing Array (SFA)
Energy Range
0.5–10 keV
Effective Area
∼0.8 m2 at 2 keV 0.5 m2 at 6 keV
Field of View
12′
Angular Resolution
1′
Energy Resolution
<180 eV
The SFA will consist of a set of 9 X-ray telescopes equipped with Silicon Drift Detectors. The optics are Wolter-I type nested mirrors with coated glass focal elements.
Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA)
Energy Range
2–10 keV
Effective Area
900 cm2 at 2 keV
Field of View
12′
Angular Resolution
30″
The PFA will consist of a set of 4 X-ray telescopes equipped with imaging gas pixel photoelectric polarimeters.
Wide Field Monitor (WFM)
Energy Range
2–50 keV
Field of View
70° × 70°
Angular Resolution
1′
Energy Resolution
∼300 eV at 6 keV
Time Resolution
1 µs
The WFM will have 3 pairs of coded mask wide field units, equipped with position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors. The two cameras in each pair are sensitive to location on one dimension, and only coarsely in the orthogonal direction: mounting the cameras at right angles provide accurate 2-D targeting for the pair. The WFM will include on-board detection for bright events to trigger Burst Alerts.
Large Area Detector (LAD)
Energy Range
2–30 keV (up to 80 keV for bright sources)
Effective Area
∼3.4 m2 between 6–10 keV
Field of View
<1° (FWHM)
Angular Resolution
< 250 ev
LAD will be a deployable set of 640 Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) with have 40 modules, each with 4×4 detectors and matching collimators
Spectroscopic Focusing Array (SFA)
Energy Range
0.5–10 keV
Effective Area
∼0.8 m2 at 2 keV 0.5 m2 at 6 keV
Field of View
12′
Angular Resolution
1′
Energy Resolution
<180 eV
The SFA will consist of a set of 9 X-ray telescopes equipped with Silicon Drift Detectors. The optics are Wolter-I type nested mirrors with coated glass focal elements.
Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA)
Energy Range
2–10 keV
Effective Area
900 cm2 at 2 keV
Field of View
12′
Angular Resolution
30″
The PFA will consist of a set of 4 X-ray telescopes equipped with imaging gas pixel photoelectric polarimeters.
Wide Field Monitor (WFM)
Energy Range
2–50 keV
Field of View
70° × 70°
Angular Resolution
1′
Energy Resolution
∼300 eV at 6 keV
Time Resolution
1 µs
The WFM will have 3 pairs of coded mask wide field units, equipped with position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors. The two cameras in each pair are sensitive to location on one dimension, and only coarsely in the orthogonal direction: mounting the cameras at right angles provide accurate 2-D targeting for the pair. The WFM will include on-board detection for bright events to trigger Burst Alerts.
Large Area Detector (LAD)
Energy Range
2–30 keV (up to 80 keV for bright sources)
Effective Area
∼3.4 m2 between 6–10 keV
Field of View
<1° (FWHM)
Angular Resolution
< 250 ev
LAD will be a deployable set of 640 Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) with have 40 modules, each with 4×4 detectors and matching collimators
Science Goals
Study ultra-dense matter in neutron stars
Explore exotic matter states that exist in neutron stars due to intense gravitational fields
Study physics of strong magnetic field in magnetars, accreting X-ray pulsars, and rotation-powered pulsars
Discover new magnetar candidates from flaring observations approximately once a year
Study the accretion processing in the strong-field limit of gravity around super-massive black holes seen at the core of active galactic nuclei.
