Modeling of the Lobster-ISS x-ray telescope in orbit

摘要

The Lobster-ISS instrument is an X-ray all sky monitor proposed as an attached payload on the zenith platform exposed payload facility of the European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS). The basic instrument consists of six microchannel plate X-ray telescopes, collectively providing wide-angle (22.5 x 162 sq.degree) astronomical X-ray imaging in the 0.1 - 3.5 keV energy band. In this paper we describe computer modeling software underway at the University of Melbourne to provide an accurate simulation of the operation of the Lobster-ISS in its low Earth orbit environment. We exhibit some preliminary exposure maps and examples of the X-ray images that the instrument should produce given our simulation of its operation.