Session
Session 6: Instruments / Science II
Abstract
The Monitoring Spectroscopic Telescope for Energetic Radiation (MonSTER) will provide time-resolved, broadband X-ray spectroscopy (3-50 keV) of stellar mass X-ray Binary systems (XRBs) as they undergo outburst. MonSTER will be dedicated to following these sources for weeks or months at a time, with instrumentation optimized for sensitivity and spectral resolution across the crucial iron line complex that will provide a complete picture of the dynamics of key parameters such as the disk inner radius, the ionization state, and the temperature and optical depth of the corona as the outburst evolves. With flight heritage of the X-ray detectors and collimator design and modest requirements on the spacecraft bus pointing, MonSTER provides an inexpensive alternative to dedicating time from flagship missions to study accretion in extreme environments.
MonSTER: The Monitoring Spectroscopic Telescope for Energetic Radiation
The Monitoring Spectroscopic Telescope for Energetic Radiation (MonSTER) will provide time-resolved, broadband X-ray spectroscopy (3-50 keV) of stellar mass X-ray Binary systems (XRBs) as they undergo outburst. MonSTER will be dedicated to following these sources for weeks or months at a time, with instrumentation optimized for sensitivity and spectral resolution across the crucial iron line complex that will provide a complete picture of the dynamics of key parameters such as the disk inner radius, the ionization state, and the temperature and optical depth of the corona as the outburst evolves. With flight heritage of the X-ray detectors and collimator design and modest requirements on the spacecraft bus pointing, MonSTER provides an inexpensive alternative to dedicating time from flagship missions to study accretion in extreme environments.
