Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Large Area X-Ray Proportional Counter Instrument on AstroSat


Affiliations
1 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
2 UM-DAE Centre of Excellence for Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina, Mumbai 400 098, India
3 University of Mumbai, Kalina, Mumbai 400 098, India
4 Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru 560 080, India
5 Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, India
 

Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) is one of the major AstroSat payloads. The instrument will provide high time-resolution X-ray observations in 3-80 keV energy band with moderate energy resolution. A cluster of three co-aligned identical LAXPC detectors is used in AstroSat to provide large collection area of more than 6000 sq. cm. The large detection volume (15 cm depth) filled with xenon gas at ~2 atm pressure, results in detection efficiency greater than 50% above 30 keV. With its broad energy range and fine-time resolution (10 μs), LAXPC instrument is well suited for timing and spectral studies of a wide variety of known and transient X-ray sources in the sky. We have done extensive calibration of all LAXPC detectors using radioactive sources as well as GEANT4 simulation of LAXPC detectors. We describe in brief some of the results obtained during the payload verification phase along with LAXPC capabilities.

Keywords

Energy- and Time-Resolution, Payloads, Space Observatory, X-Ray Sources.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Agrawal, P. C., A broad spectral band Indian Astronomy satellite ‘AstroSat’. AdSpR, 2006, 38, 2989–2994.

  • Yadav, J. S. et al., Large area X-ray proportional counter (LAXPC) instrument onboard AstroSat. SPIE, 2016, 9905, 99051D-1–99051D-15.

  • Agrawal, P. C. et al., Large area X-ray proportional counter (LAXPC) instrument on AstroSat and some preliminary results from its performance in the orbit. JAA, 2017, 38(30), 1–13.

  • Antia, H. M. et al., Calibration of the large area X-ray proportional counter (LAXPC) instrument on-board AstroSat. ApJS, 2017, 231(10), 29.

  • Yadav, J. S. et al., AstroSat/LAXPC reveals the high-energy variability of GRS 1915+105 in the  class. ApJ, 2016, 833, 27–35.

  • Misra, R., et al., AstroSat/LAXPC observation of cygnus X-1 in the hard state. ApJ, 2017, 835, 195–200.

  • Chauhan, J. V. et al., AstroSat/LAXPC detection of millisecond phenomena in 4U 1728-34. ApJ, 2017, 841, 41–45.

  • Jahoda, K. et al., Calibration of the Rossi X-ray timing explorer proportional counter array. ApJS, 2006, 163, 401–423.

  • Pahari, M., Yadav, J. S. and Bhattacharyya, S., X-ray spectral state evolution in IGR J17091-3624 and comparison of its heart-beat oscillations properties with those of GRS 1915+105. ApJ, 2014, 783, 141–161.

  • Paul, B., Agrawal, P. C., Rao, A. R., Vahia, M. N., Yadav, J. S. Seetha, S. and Kasturirangan, K., Quasi-regular X-ray bursts from GRS 1915+105 observed with the IXAE: possible evidence for matter disappearing into the event horizon of the black hole. ApJ, 1998, 492, L63–L66.


Abstract Views: 308

PDF Views: 106




  • Large Area X-Ray Proportional Counter Instrument on AstroSat

Abstract Views: 308  |  PDF Views: 106

Authors

J. S. Yadav
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
P. C. Agrawal
UM-DAE Centre of Excellence for Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina, Mumbai 400 098, India
H. M. Antia
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
R. K. Manchanda
University of Mumbai, Kalina, Mumbai 400 098, India
B. Paul
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru 560 080, India
Ranjeev Misra
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, India

Abstract


Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) is one of the major AstroSat payloads. The instrument will provide high time-resolution X-ray observations in 3-80 keV energy band with moderate energy resolution. A cluster of three co-aligned identical LAXPC detectors is used in AstroSat to provide large collection area of more than 6000 sq. cm. The large detection volume (15 cm depth) filled with xenon gas at ~2 atm pressure, results in detection efficiency greater than 50% above 30 keV. With its broad energy range and fine-time resolution (10 μs), LAXPC instrument is well suited for timing and spectral studies of a wide variety of known and transient X-ray sources in the sky. We have done extensive calibration of all LAXPC detectors using radioactive sources as well as GEANT4 simulation of LAXPC detectors. We describe in brief some of the results obtained during the payload verification phase along with LAXPC capabilities.

Keywords


Energy- and Time-Resolution, Payloads, Space Observatory, X-Ray Sources.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi04%2F591-594