Roadmap to XEUS (resubmission)

XEUS解决了关于宇宙本质、大尺度结构和极端环境物理学的基本问题。该任务概念体现了航天器、光学和探测器的先进技术，从而在电磁波谱的x射线波长上实现前所未有的观测能力。这份“XEUS路线图”应用程序描述了一个开发计划，该计划将使英国研究人员和工业界处于积极参与任务所有阶段的有利地位。它是由来自莱斯特大学、布鲁内尔大学、伯明翰大学和伦敦大学学院穆拉德空间科学实验室的大学研究小组组成的联盟，以及工业合作伙伴EADS Astrium（英国）、e2v Technologies（英国）和Space cryom磁性公司共同制造的。XEUS的概念设想在L2拉格朗日点（距离地球约150万公里）建立一个x射线天文台，由独立的镜面和探测器航天器组成。这种配置，加上最近轻型x射线镜设计的重大进展，将提供5平方米的收集面积/比xmm -牛顿（目前最大的x射线天文台）大10到30倍/提供一套最先进的x射线探测器和光谱仪。由此产生的非常高的灵敏度，结合出色的成像和光谱能力，将首次将x射线诊断的力量用于研究高温、高红移的宇宙，以及极端条件下物质的行为。XEUS将研究遍及宇宙的热等离子体的结构和演化，例如层次合并、激波加热和反馈过程，这些过程已经将宇宙中的大多数重子加热到105k以上。它将追踪高红移结构的增长，为宇宙学提供有价值的约束。它将探测超大质量黑洞的早期生长阶段，涉及到宇宙在z>6的再电离，并将研究星系形成与超大质量黑洞生长之间的联系。在接近黑洞视界的极端条件下的物理学也将被探索，中子星中重子物质的状态方程可能与强相互作用和标准模型有关。欧洲空间局（ESA）的“宇宙视野”项目给XEUS科学赋予了非常高的优先级。目前，XEUS已被提交给欧空局宇宙视野计划，用于2018年的首次l级发射。XEUS也有非常强大的国际支持：日本宇宙航空研究开发机构是“宇宙视野”计划的合作伙伴，俄罗斯和中国都表达了对在XEUS中发挥重要作用的强烈兴趣。与美国国家航空航天局的非正式讨论也在进行，目的是让美国参与。XEUS通过利用重大新兴技术进步，继承XMM-Newton的关键科学成果。该申请旨在为一项技术开发计划寻求资金，该计划将使英国研究团队和英国工业在XEUS中处于强势地位。该申请包括英国境内的四个活动领域。在x射线光学方面，目标是支持新的硅微孔光学技术的设计、建模和测试项目，这可能会使英国在这个核心XEUS项目中获得首席研究员的地位。提出了探测器开发计划，包括扩展的宽视场成像仪和低温窄视场仪器，这两者都是XEUS焦平面仪器套件的关键元素。该提案还寻求支持继续发展绝热消磁冰箱，作为XEUS的毫开尔文飞行冷却器。英国工业界在所有这些领域的参与都得到了保证，这对项目的成功至关重要。

XEUS addresses fundamental questions on the nature of the Universe, its large-scale structure, and the physics of extreme environments. The mission concept embodies advanced technologies for spacecraft, optics, and detectors leading to unprecedented observational capabilities at X-ray wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. This 'Roadmap to XEUS' application describes a development programme that will place UK researchers and industry in a strong position to participate actively in all phases of the mission. It is being made by a consortium of university research groups from the University of Leicester, Brunel University, Birmingham University and the Mullard Space ScienceLaboratory of University College London, together with industrial partners EADS Astrium (UK), e2v Technologies (UK) and Space Cryomagnetic. The XEUS concept envisages an X-ray observatory at L2 Lagrangian Point (at about 1.5 million km from Earth), comprising separate mirror and detector spacecraft. This configuration, coupled with recent major advances in light-weight X-ray mirror design, will provide 5 sq mtrs of collecting area / 10 to 30 times more than XMM-Newton (currently the largest X-ray observatory to be launched) / feeding a set of state-of-the-art X-ray detectors and spectrometers. The resulting very high sensitivity, combined with excellent imaging and spectral capabilities, will, for the first time, bring the power of X-ray diagnostics to bear on studies of the hot, high red-shift Universe, as well as on the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions. XEUS will study the structure and evolution of the hot plasmas that pervade the Universe, e.g. the processes of hierarchical merging, shock heating and feedback, which have heated most of the baryons of the Universe to greater than 105 K by the present epoch. It will trace the growth of structure at high redshift, providing valuable constraints on cosmology. It will probe the early growth phases of super-massive black holes, implicated in the re-ionization of the Universe at z>6, and will investigate the connection between galaxy formation and the growth of super-massive black holes. Physics under extreme conditions, close to the event horizon in black holes, will also be probed, as will the equation of state of baryonic matter in neutron stars with possible links to the strong interaction and the Standard Model. The European Space Agency (ESA) Cosmic Visions exercise assigned very high priority to XEUS science. XEUS has now been proposed to the ESA Cosmic Vision programme for the first L-class launch in 2018. XEUS also has very strong international support: the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is a partner in the Cosmic Vision proposal and both Russia and China have expressed strong interest in taking on a significant role in XEUS. Informal discussions are also taking place with NASA, with a view to US participation. XEUS carries forward the key scientific achievements of XMM-Newton by exploiting major emerging technical advances. This application seeks funding for a programme of technology development that will place UK research teams and UK industry in a strong position in XEUS. This application encompasses four areas of activity within the UK. In X-ray optics the goal is to support a programme of design, modelling and testing of the new silicon micro-pore optics technology, which could give the UK Principal Investigator status in this core XEUS programme. Detector development programmes are proposed encompassing the extended wide-field imager and the cryogenic narrow-field instrument, both of which are key elements of the XEUS focal plane instrumentation suite. The proposal also seeks support for the continuing development of adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerators as the milli-Kelvin flight cooler for XEUS. Involvement of UK industry has been secured in all of these areas and indeed will be critically important for the success of the programme.