1997/10/28 by R. E. Rothschild, P. R. Blanco, D. E. Gruber +9 · 8 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Crab Nebula #Crab Pulsar #Detector #Field of view #Full width at half maximum #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Optics #Physics #Pulsar #Range (aeronautics) #Scintillation #X-ray detector #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/305377
30 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, accepted by Ap. J., to be published in vol 496, March 20, 1998
arxiv created 1997/10/28 · openalex publication_date 1998/03/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The High Energy X-Ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE) is one of three scientific instruments aboard the Rossi X - Ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ), which was launched on 1995 December 30. RXTE performs timing and spectral studies of bright X-ray sources to determine the physical parameters of these systems. The HEXTE consists of two independent clusters of detectors, each cluster containing four NaI(Tl)/CsI(Na) phoswich scintillation counters sharing a common 1° FWHM field of view. The field of view of each cluster is switched on and off source to provide near real-time background measurements. The net open area of the eight detectors is 1600 cm 2 , and each detector covers the energy range 15-250 keV with an average energy resolution of 15.4% at 60 keV. The in-flight performance of the HEXTE is described, the light curve and spectrum of the Crab Nebula/pulsar is given, and the 15-240 keV spectrum of the weak source, active galaxy MCG +8-11-11 is presented to demonstrate the weak source spectral capabilities of HEXTE.