X-Ray Astronomy Study with the Astro-E Satellite

Astro-E卫星于2000年2月10日发射，试图成为日本的第五颗x射线天文卫星，但由于发射装置发生事故而失败。它的目的是成为一个轨道上的国际x射线天文台，具有在非常宽的能量范围内实现最高能量分辨率的高灵敏度观测能力。部分科学仪器是在日美合作下开发的，最近两年完成了开发的最终完成，发射前的仪器校准，安装在航天器上发射前的最终性能验证等工作。通过这笔资助，日本成员参与了仪器在美国的最终完成和测试，美国成员参与了在日本的最终集成测试，Astro-E团队成员参加了审查和调查当前问题的会议，等等。这些发展是由所有日美成员国合作进行的，这项预算的援助非常有用。此外，这一发展在高能光子探测器方面产生了新的成果，并在国际会议上发表了这些成果。在这些关于仪器发展的活动的同时，组织了一个由来自日本、美国和欧洲的主要科学家组成的科学工作组，对如何使科学成果最大化进行了调查。特别是，在上一财政年度举行了关于Astro-E项目与欧洲空间局合作的会议，小组成员的参与得到了这笔赠款的支持。虽然发射失败，但航天器的发展和国际合作非常富有成效。

The Astro-E satellite was launched on Feb. 10, 2000, trying to be the Japanese fifth X-ray astronomical satellite, but failed to be it according to an accident in its launcher. It was intended to be a international X-ray observatory in orbit having a capability for high sensitivity observations with the finest energy resolution ever achieved in a very wide energy range. A part of the scientific instruments were developed under a Japan-US collaboration, and the final completion of the development, the instrumental calibrations before launch, the final performance verification before the launch after mounting them in the spacecraft and so on were done in the latest two years. By this grant-in-aid, participation of Japanese members in the final completion and tests of the instruments in US, taking part of US members in the final integration tests in Japan, attendance of Astro-E team members in meetings for reviews and investigations on current issues and so on were supported!. The developments were performed collaboratively by all the Japan-US members and the aid by this budget was very useful. Furthermore, this development yielded new results on high-energy-photon detectors and presentations of them in international conferences were also supported. In parallel to those activities on the instrumental developments, investigations on how to maximize the scientific yields have been done by organizing a science working group composing of leading scientists from Japan, US and Europe. In particular, meetings on collaborations of the Astro-E project with the European Space Agency were held and participation of the team members were supported by this grant in the last fiscal year. Although the launch failed, the spacecraft development and the international collaborations were very fruitful.