eXTP
The mission will study matter in extreme conditions using X-rays (CAS/CNSA)
The eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry Mission) is a scientific mission designed to study the state of matter under extreme conditions of density, gravity, and magnetism. The main objectives of the mission are the determination of the equation of state of matter at supranuclear densities, measurements of the effects of quantum electrodynamics on highly magnetised stars, and the study of accretion in a strong gravity field regime.
The main objects to be studied by eXTP include single neutron stars and binary systems, strong magnetic field systems such as magnetars, and stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. The mission is led by China, with significant participation from the European Space Agency (ESA), and European research institutes.
The mission has a unique and unprecedented set of state-of-the-art instruments that allow, for the first time in history, the simultaneous study of the spectral polarimetry of cosmic sources in the energy range 0.5-30 keV.
THE IEEC CONTRIBUTION
The IEEC leads the Spanish participation in the Wide Field Monitor (WFM) that will be part of the payload of the eXTP mission. The WFM consists of 3 pairs of coded mask cameras, with a wide field of view of 3.7 sr, equipped with silicon drift detectors operating in the 2-50 keV energy range. The Institute will supply the collimator and coded masks, as well as the mechanical and thermal configuration of the entire instrument, and will be responsible for the assembly, integration, verification, and testing of the WFM cameras.