The Black Hole Explorer: Operating a Hybrid Observatory
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866929499148386304 |
|---|---|
| author | Issaoun, Sara Alonso, Kim Akiyama, Kazunori Blackburn, Lindy Boroson, Don Galison, Peter Haworth, Kari Houston, Janice Johnson, Michael D. Kovalev, Yuri Y. Kurczynski, Peter Lafon, Robert Marrone, Daniel P. Palumbo, Daniel Peretz, Eliad Pesce, Dominic Petrov, Leonid Plavin, Alexander Wang, Jade |
| author_facet | Issaoun, Sara Alonso, Kim Akiyama, Kazunori Blackburn, Lindy Boroson, Don Galison, Peter Haworth, Kari Houston, Janice Johnson, Michael D. Kovalev, Yuri Y. Kurczynski, Peter Lafon, Robert Marrone, Daniel P. Palumbo, Daniel Peretz, Eliad Pesce, Dominic Petrov, Leonid Plavin, Alexander Wang, Jade |
| contents | We present a baseline science operations plan for the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX), a space mission concept aiming to confirm the existence of the predicted sharp ``photon ring" resulting from strongly lensed photon trajectories around black holes, as predicted by general relativity, and to measure its size and shape to determine the black hole's spin. BHEX will co-observe with a ground-based very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) array at high-frequency radio wavelengths, providing unprecedented high resolution with the extension to space that will enable photon ring detection and studies of active galactic nuclei. Science operations require a simultaneous coordination between BHEX and a ground array of large and small radio apertures to provide opportunities for surveys and imaging of radio sources, while coordination with a growing network of optical downlink terminals provides the data rates necessary to build sensitivity on long baselines to space. Here we outline the concept of operations for the hybrid observatory, the available observing modes, the observation planning process, and data delivery to achieve the mission goals and meet mission requirements. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_09610 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Black Hole Explorer: Operating a Hybrid Observatory Issaoun, Sara Alonso, Kim Akiyama, Kazunori Blackburn, Lindy Boroson, Don Galison, Peter Haworth, Kari Houston, Janice Johnson, Michael D. Kovalev, Yuri Y. Kurczynski, Peter Lafon, Robert Marrone, Daniel P. Palumbo, Daniel Peretz, Eliad Pesce, Dominic Petrov, Leonid Plavin, Alexander Wang, Jade Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics We present a baseline science operations plan for the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX), a space mission concept aiming to confirm the existence of the predicted sharp ``photon ring" resulting from strongly lensed photon trajectories around black holes, as predicted by general relativity, and to measure its size and shape to determine the black hole's spin. BHEX will co-observe with a ground-based very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) array at high-frequency radio wavelengths, providing unprecedented high resolution with the extension to space that will enable photon ring detection and studies of active galactic nuclei. Science operations require a simultaneous coordination between BHEX and a ground array of large and small radio apertures to provide opportunities for surveys and imaging of radio sources, while coordination with a growing network of optical downlink terminals provides the data rates necessary to build sensitivity on long baselines to space. Here we outline the concept of operations for the hybrid observatory, the available observing modes, the observation planning process, and data delivery to achieve the mission goals and meet mission requirements. |
| title | The Black Hole Explorer: Operating a Hybrid Observatory |
| topic | Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.09610 |