Science objectives of the Einstein Probe mission
摘要
The Einstein Probe(EP)is an interdisciplinary mission of time-domain and X-ray astronomy.Equipped with a wide-field lobstereye X-ray focusing imager,EP will discover cosmic X-ray transients and monitor the X-ray variability of known sources in 0.5-4 keV,at a combination of detecting sensitivity and cadence that is not accessible to the previous and current wide-field monitoring missions.EP can perform quick characterisation of transients or outbursts with a Wolter-I X-ray telescope onboard.In this paper,the science objectives of the EP mission are presented.EP is expected to enlarge the sample of previously known or predicted but rare types of transients with a wide range of timescales.Among them,fast extragalactic transients will be surveyed systematically in soft X-rays,which includeγ-ray bursts and their variants,supernova shock breakouts,and the predicted X-ray transients associated with binary neutron star mergers.EP will detect X-ray tidal disruption events and outbursts from active galactic nuclei,possibly at an early phase of the flares for some.EP will monitor the variability and outbursts of X-rays from white dwarfs,neutron stars and black holes in our and neighbouring galaxies at flux levels fainter than those detectable by the current instruments,and is expected to discover new objects.A large sample of stellar X-ray flares will also be detected and characterised.In the era of multi-messenger astronomy,EP has the potential of detecting the possible X-ray counterparts of gravitational wave events,neutrino sources,and ultra-high energyγ-ray and cosmic ray sources.EP is expected to help advance the studies of extreme objects and phenomena revealed in the dynamic X-ray universe,and their underlying physical processes.Besides EP's strength in time-domain science,its follow-up telescope,with excellent performance,will also enable advances in many areas of X-ray astronomy.
基金
supported by Strategic Priority Program on Space Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences,in collaboration with ESA,MPE and CNES(Grant Nos.XDA15310000,and XDA15052100)
supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61234003,61434004,and 61504141)
CAS Interdisciplinary Project(Grant No.KJZD-EW-L11-04)。
-
1Wenda Zhang,Weimin Yuan,Zhixing Ling,Yong Chen,Nanda Rea,Arne Rau,Zhiming Cai,Huaqing Cheng,Francesco Coti Zelati,Lixin Dai,Jingwei Hu,Shumei Jia,Chichuan Jin,Dongyue Li,Paul O’Brien,Rongfeng Shen,Xinwen Shu,Shengli Sun,Xiaojin Sun,Xiaofeng Wang,Lei Yang,Bing Zhang,Chen Zhang,Shuang-Nan Zhang,Yonghe Zhang,Jie An,David Buckley,Alexis Coleiro,Bertrand Cordier,Liming Dou,Rob Eyles-Ferris,Zhou Fan,Hua Feng,Shaoyu Fu,Johan P.U.Fynbo,Lluis Galbany,Saurabh W.Jha,Shuaiqing Jiang,Albert Kong,Erik Kuulkers,Weihua Lei,Wenxiong Li,Bifang Liu,Mingjun Liu,Xing Liu,Yuan Liu,Zhu Liu,Chandreyee Maitra,Alessio Marino,Itumeleng Monageng,Kirpal Nandra,Jeremy Sanders,Roberto Soria,Lian Tao,Junfeng Wang,Song Wang,Tinggui Wang,Zhongxiang Wang,Qingwen Wu,Xuefeng Wu,Dong Xu,Yanjun Xu,Suijian Xue,Yongquan Xue,Zijian Zhang,Zipei Zhu,Hu Zou,Congying Bao,Fansheng Chen,Houlei Chen,Tianxiang Chen,Wei Chen,Yehai Chen,Yifan Chen,Chenzhou Cui,Weiwei Cui,Yanfeng Dai,Dongwei Fan,Ju Guan,Dawei Han,Dongjie Hou,Haibo Hu,Maohai Huang,Jia Huo,Zhenqing Jia,Bowen Jiang,Ge Jin,Chengkui Li,Junfei Li,Longhui Li,Maoshun Li,Wei Li,Zhengda Li,Tianying Lian,Congzhan Liu,Heyang Liu,Huaqiu Liu,Fangjun Lu,Laidan Luo,Jia Ma,Xuan Mao,Haiwu Pan,Xin Pan,Liming Song,Hui Sun,Yunyin Tan,Qingjun Tang,Yihan Tao,Hao Wang,Juan Wang,Lei Wang,Wenxin Wang,Yilong Wang,Yusa Wang,Qinyu Wu,Haitao Xu,Jingjing Xu,Xinpeng Xu,Yunfei Xu,Zhao Xu,Changbin Xue,Yulong Xue,Ailiang Yan,Haonan Yang,Xiongtao Yang,Yanji Yang,Juan Zhang,Mo Zhang,Wenjie Zhang,Zhen Zhang,Zhen Zhang,Ziliang Zhang,Donghua Zhao,Haisheng Zhao,Xiaofan Zhao,Zijian Zhao,Hongyan Zhou,Yilin Zhou,Yuxuan Zhu,Zhencai Zhu.Einstein Probe discovery of EP240408a:A peculiar X-ray transient with an intermediate timescale[J].Science China(Physics,Mechanics & Astronomy),2025,68(1):218-236.
-
2Ce Cai,Yan-Qiu Zhang,Shao-Lin Xiong,Ping Wang,Jian-Hui Li,Xiao-Bo Li,Cheng-Kui Li,Yue Huang,Shi-Jie Zheng,Li-Ming Song,Shuo Xiao,Qi-Bin Yi,Yi Zhao,Sheng-Lun Xie,Rui Qiao,Yan-Qi Du,Zhi-Wei Guo,Wang-Chen Xue,Chao Zheng,Jia-Cong Liu,Chen-Wei Wang,Wen-Jun Tan,Yue Wang,Jin-Peng Zhang,Chao-Yang Li,Guo-Ying Zhao,Xiao-Yun Zhao,Xiao-Lu Zhang,Zhen Zhang,Wen-Xi Peng,Xiang Ma,Jing-Yan Shi,Dong-Ya Guo,Jin Wang,Xin-Qiao Li,Xiang-Yang Wen,Zheng-Hua An,Fan Zhang.The GECAM ground search system for gamma-ray transients[J].Science China(Physics,Mechanics & Astronomy),2025,68(3):161-174.
-
3当Digital Lens与ESS解码芯片互相辉映 PS Audio Stellar DAC[J].视听前线,2025(1):57-57.
-
4Zuhui Fan.Tackling the microlensing wave effects of strong lensing gravitational waves with TAAH[J].Science China(Physics,Mechanics & Astronomy),2025,68(1):253-254.
-
5Lu Feng,Tao Han,Jing-Fei Zhang,Xin Zhang.Prospects for weighing neutrinos in interacting dark energy models using joint observations of gravitational waves andγ-ray bursts[J].Chinese Physics C,2024,48(9):225-233.
-
6邢其森,徐传燕,黄显利,李永生,王帅杰,刘润达,刘永利.附加式二维声学黑洞减振特性[J].内燃机与动力装置,2024,41(6):33-39.
-
7James E.Rhoads.Exploring the mass gap:Black holes in green pea galaxies[J].Science China(Physics,Mechanics & Astronomy),2024,67(10):170-171.
-
8EP Astronomical Satellite Provides New Insights into Early Universe[J].China Today,2025,74(3):59-59.
-
9杨波,许海鹰,桑兴华,王壮.自适应闭环控制的高频脉冲电子束偏压电路设计[J].航空制造技术,2025,68(1):90-94.
-
10Ball.当Digital Lens与ESS解码晶片互相辉映PS Audio Stellar DAC[J].家庭影院技术,2025(1):51-51.
