XEUS : The i-ray vo1ving universe pectroscopy mission represents a potential follow-on mission to the ESA XMM cornerstone currently nearing completion. XEUS represents the next logical step forward in X-ray astrophysics after the current set of missions have been launched and completed their operational lives. The development and ultimate success relies heavily on the capability of the International Space Station (ISS). In this paper we describe the key characteristics of the mission including the requirements placed specifically on the 155 and discuss the significant advances in high energy astrophysics expected from such an observatory.The aim of XEUS is to study the astrophysics of some of the most distant and hence youngest known discrete objects in the universe. The specific scientific issues, which XEUS aims to address, can be summarized as follows:. To measure the X-ray spectra of objects with a redshift z >4 at flux levels about < 1017 erg cm2 s' . This is at least a 100 times fainter than XMM.. Where possible to determine from the X-ray spectral lines the redshift and thus the age of these objects . To thereby establish the evolution in the distribution of matter in the early universe To achieve these demanding aims a large X-ray telescope is required. The basic features of this telescope are:. An X-ray mirror with an effective collecting area at 1 keV of 30 m2. . A spatial resolution of the mirror needs to be at least 5" (HEW) so as to avoid source confusion at above mentioned faint source levels.. A field of view of at least 5 ' is required so as to ensure that a significantly large population of high redshift x-ray sources can be observed in a single pointing.. Energy bandwith required is 0.05 to 30 keV, with 3m2 at 8 keV. . An energy resolution of 1 -10 eV is required to perform detailed plasma diagnostics on sources, such as distant galaxy clusters These are some of the most demanding requirements yet placed on any X-ray astrophysics mission and will require major technological development at all levelsoptics, detectors and spacecraft.
The X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission (XEUS) is a potential follow-on to ESA's Cornerstone XMM-Newton. XEUS is designed to become a permanent space-based X-ray observatory covering the waveband from 0.5 to 200A with a sensitivity comparable to the most advanced planned future observatories at longer wavelengths, such as NGST, ALMA and FIRST.Considering the long lead-time ofastrophysics missions, ESA started studying XEUS a few years ago and designed a mission scenario, which is able to deliver the performance required by astrophysics at the end of the first decade ofthe 21st century and beyond.XEUS will make use of, and rely on, the space infrastructure provided by the International Space Station (155) to provide a lOm diameter X-ray optics which will give an effective area of 30 m2 at 1 keV. The mirror technology is building on the sophisticated X-ray mirrors developed for XMM-Newton and will give XEUS the necessary angular resolution of 2-5 arcseconds to resolve the extremely large number of sources expected at the very faint levels accessible to XEUS.XEUS is currently being studied by ESA in cooperation with ISAS/Japan, but the XEUS scenario has a large potential for becoming a 'global' mission with international collaboration on a significant level. THE EVOLVING UNWERSEThe astrophysics of the 21st century will largely concentrate on the study of the high-redshift universe.Correspondingly the sources to be studied are very distant and faint, requiring very much higher sensitivities than available with today's X-ray observatories'. XEUS will be around 250 times more sensitive than XMM-Newton, with a better angular resolution, and it's scientific goals will include the study of the:. First massive black holes, . First galaxy groups and their evolution into the massive clusters observed today, . Evolution of heavy element abundances, . Intergalactic medium using absorption line spectroscopy.ESA's Plank mission will measure the cosmological parameters to high precision while NGST, FIRST and ALMA will probe the time when the first stars emerged and provide information about the formation and evolution of galaxies. These missions will make observations in the visible and infrared bands and will thus be sensitive in detecting and measuring rather "cool" matter. A powerful X-ray mission such as XEUS2 will provide the additional observations necessary to study the hot universe at high-redshifi with comparable sensitivity as these
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