Astro B was the second Japanese X-ray astronomy
satellite. After launch on February 20, 1983, it was renamed Tenma (Japanese
for "Pegasus"). Tenma carried GSFC detectors which had an improved energy
resolution (by a factor of 2) compared to proportional counters and
performed the first sensitive measurements of the iron spectral
region for many astronomical objects.
Mission Characteristics
Lifetime :
February 20, 1983 - November, 22 1985 Energy Range :
0.1 keV - 60 keV Payload :
Gas Scintillator Proportional Counter:
10 units of 80 cm2 each, FOV ~ 3deg (FWHM), 2 - 60 keV
X-ray focusing collector:
2 units of 7 cm2 each, 0.1 -2 keV
Transient Source Monitor: 2 - 10 keV
Radiation Belt Monitor/Gamma-ray burst detector
Science Highlights:
Discovery of the Iron helium-like emission from the galactic ridge
Iron line discovery and/or study in many LMXRB, HMXRB and AGN
Discovery of an absorption line at 4 keV in the X1636-536
Burst spectra