AGILE is an ASI Small. Scientific Mission dedicated to gamma-ray astrophysics, which will detect and image photons in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV and in the 10-40 keV energy ranges. It is planned to be operational in early 2004 and it will be the only Mission entirely dedicated to source detection above 30 MeV during the period 2004-2006. AGILE will be an excellent gamma-ray imager with a spatial resolution of similar to 40 mum and a very large FOV (similar to 1/5 of the sky). It allows simultaneous observations in the hard X-ray and in they-ray bands and it is characterized by an optimal temporal resolution (absolute timing of similar to2 mus and deadtimes of similar to100 mus for the GRID and of similar to5 mus for Super-AGILE and the Mini-Calorimeter). AGILE main scientific objectives will be: Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma,R,ay Bursts, Pulsars, unidentified gamma-ray sources and diffuse Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray emission. In this paper (Part I) we focus on the AGILE scientific goals, the AGILE instrument and the on-board data processing.
The science of AGILE: Part I
PREST, MICHELA;
2002-01-01
Abstract
AGILE is an ASI Small. Scientific Mission dedicated to gamma-ray astrophysics, which will detect and image photons in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV and in the 10-40 keV energy ranges. It is planned to be operational in early 2004 and it will be the only Mission entirely dedicated to source detection above 30 MeV during the period 2004-2006. AGILE will be an excellent gamma-ray imager with a spatial resolution of similar to 40 mum and a very large FOV (similar to 1/5 of the sky). It allows simultaneous observations in the hard X-ray and in they-ray bands and it is characterized by an optimal temporal resolution (absolute timing of similar to2 mus and deadtimes of similar to100 mus for the GRID and of similar to5 mus for Super-AGILE and the Mini-Calorimeter). AGILE main scientific objectives will be: Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma,R,ay Bursts, Pulsars, unidentified gamma-ray sources and diffuse Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray emission. In this paper (Part I) we focus on the AGILE scientific goals, the AGILE instrument and the on-board data processing.
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