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Goddard Space
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The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is an X-ray telescope with joint participation from the NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The project supersedes both ESA's XEUS and NASA's Constellation-X mission concepts.
XEUS: An X-ray observatory in the Cosmic Vision Programme
The XEUS mission was proposed as an L-class candidate mission for the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme in response to the Call for Proposals issued by ESA in March 2007. In October 2007, XEUS was selected for further assessment and consideration. The ESA internal assessment phase, or phase 0, for all candidate missions began in November 2007. The CDF study for XEUS, part of this phase 0 process, ran from June 2008 to July 2008.
Constellation-X
The Constellation-X mission was a key element in NASA’s Structure and Evolution of the Universe theme. The mission has been designed to perform X-ray spectroscopy with unprecedented sensitivity and spectral resolution. The measurement of large numbers of X-ray spectral lines in hot plasmas will allow astronomers to determine the flow of gas in accretion disks around black holes, in active galactic nuclei, and in binary X-ray sources, measure the population of newly-created elements in supernova remnants, and detect the influence of dark matter on the hot intergalactic medium in clusters of galaxies.
IXO
Following discussions involving ESA, NASA and JAXA the XEUS mission concept was merged with the Constellation-X concept (NASA) into the International X-ray Observatory. After this merger a CDF study was performed for IXO, which ran from October 2008 to November 2008. In the first half of 2009 the Invitation to Tender is planned to be issued to Industry, resulting in parallel industrial assessment studies that will run for approximately 18 months. These studies are expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
| Parameter | Requirement | Science Drivers | Instruments |
| Mirror Effective Area | 3 m2 @1.25 keV
0.65 m2 @ 6 keV 0.015 m2 @ 30 keV |
Black Hole Evolution Strong gravity Strong gravity |
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| Spectral Resolution (FWHM), FOV, bandpass | ΔE = 2.5 eV, 2 arcmin, 0.3 – 7 keV ΔE = 10 eV, 5 arcmin, 0.3 – 7 keV ΔE =150 eV, 18 arcmin, 0.1– 15 keV E/ΔE = 3000, point src, 0.3 – 1 keV |
Galaxy Cluster Evolution Cosmic Feedback Black Hole Evolution Cosmic Web |
XMS XMS WFI/HXI XGS |
| Angular Resolution | 5 arcsec HPD, 0.3 – 7 keV 5 arcsec HPD, 0.3 – 7 keV 30 arcsec HPD, 7.0 – 40 keV |
Cosmic feedback, Black Hole Evolution Strong Gravity |
XMS WFI/HXI WFI/HXI |
| Count Rate | 106 cps with < 10% deadtime | Neutron Star Eq. of State | HTRS |
| Polarimetry | 1% MDP, 100 ksec, 5×10-12 cgs (2–6 keV) | Strong Gravity | XPOL |
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