2018/12/10 by ShuangNan Zhang, Andrea Santangelo, Marco Feroci +146 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph.IM #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11433-018-9309-2
Accepted for publication on Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (2019)
arxiv created 2018/12/10 · arxiv updated 2018/12/12
In this paper we present the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission - eXTP. eXTP is a space science mission designed to study fundamental physics under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism. The mission aims at determining the equation of state of matter at supra-nuclear density, measuring effects of QED, and understanding the dynamics of matter in strong-field gravity. In addition to investigating fundamental physics, eXTP will be a very powerful observatory for astrophysics that will provide observations of unprecedented quality on a variety of galactic and extragalactic objects. In particular, its wide field monitoring capabilities will be highly instrumental to detect the electro-magnetic counterparts of gravitational wave sources. The paper provides a detailed description of: (1) the technological and technical aspects, and the expected performance of the instruments of the scientific payload; (2) the elements and functions of the mission, from the spacecraft to the ground segment.