The upcoming XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, pronounced "crism") spacecraft will study the universe's hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity.
Led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), XRISM will peer into these cosmic extremes using spectroscopy, the study of how light and matter interact. In this explainer, video producer Sophia Roberts from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center walks us through how understanding spectroscopy deepens our knowledge of the universe.
"I think we all get excited for the beautiful images we get from missions like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope," Roberts said. "But after taking a deep dive into spectroscopy, I really appreciate the critical context it gives scientists about the story behind those pictures."
XRISM's microcalorimeter spectrometer, named Resolve, is a collaboration between JAXA and NASA. It will create spectra, measurements of light's intensity over a range of energies, for X-rays from 400 to 12,000 electron volts. (For comparison, visible light energies range from about 2 to 3 electron volts.)
To do this, Resolve measures tiny temperature changes created when an X-ray hits its 6-by-6-pixel detector. To measure that minuscule increase and determine the X-ray's energy, the detector needs to cool down to around minus 460 Fahrenheit (around minus 270 Celsius), just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. The instrument reaches its operating temperature after a multistage mechanical cooling process inside a refrigerator-sized container of liquid helium.
Resolve will help astronomers learn more about the composition and motion of extremely hot gas within clusters of galaxies, near-light-speed particle jets powered by black holes in active galaxies, and other cosmic mysteries.
The Webb telescope captures similar spectra, but for infrared light. Webb's spectra have revealed the makeup of gas near active black holes and mapped the movement of this material toward or away from the viewer. Data from XRISM's Resolve instrument will do the same at higher energies, helping paint a fuller picture of these objects.
XRISM is a collaborative mission between JAXA and NASA, with participation by ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's contribution includes science participation from the Canadian Space Agency.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
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Analyst Summary
:The upcoming XRISM X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, led by JAXA, will study the universes hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity by using spectroscopy. This mission will provide insight into cosmic extremes using a microcalorimeter spectrometer named Resolve. It will measure tiny temperature changes created when an X-ray hits its 6 by 6 pixel detector in order to identify the X-rays energy. The instrument must be cooled to around minus 460 Fahrenheit in order to accurately measure the small increase in temperature. The Webb telescope captures similar spectra, but for infrared light, and the XRISM spacecraft will open a new window on the x-ray cosmos.The article provides insight into the upcoming XRISM mission and its goal of studying the universes extremes using spectroscopy. This mission has implications for the defense and general industry sectors, as it will give researchers a better understanding of the universes composition and motion, including gas within clusters of galaxies, particle jets powered by black holes, and other cosmic mysteries. The article compares the XRISM mission to the Webb telescope, which captures similar spectra for infrared light, and notes that the XRISM spacecraft will open a new window into the x-ray cosmos.This article is significant because it offers insight into a new space mission, which could have implications for the defense and general industry sectors. In the past 25 years, the space and defense industry has seen significant advances in missions and technology, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Science Laboratory, and the Juno mission to Jupiter. This article is similar to these missions in that all offer insight into the universe and its composition, but the XRISM mission is unique because it is focused specifically on understanding x-ray spectroscopy.Investigative
Question:
- 1. What are the potential applications of the data collected from the XRISM mission?
- 2. How will the XRISM mission compare to similar missions, such as the Webb telescope?
- 3.
What are the potential challenges associated with the XRISM mission?4. What new knowledge could be gained from the XRISM mission?
5. How will the XRISM mission advance the space and defense industry?
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