Athena

Track obscured accretion through the epoch of galaxy formation

Athena

Where are the hot baryons and how do they evolve?

Athena

Understand the physics of accretion onto compact objects

Athena

Track obscured accretion through the epoch of galaxy formation

Athena

Revealing the Hot and Energetic Universe

Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics

Athena (Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics) is a general-purpose open X-ray observatory that was selected by ESA in June 2014 as the second Large mission opportunity within its Cosmic Vision programme. The mission was selected to address the Hot and Energetic Universe scientific theme. However, the observatory will have a profound impact in many areas of astrophysics. 

As stated at the ESA Cosmos web portal, the mission will be “a powerful X-ray observatory with an unprecedented combination of collecting area, survey capabilities and energy resolution”. Its unprecedented capabilities will allow the astronomical community to address a wide range of astrophysics topics, yet to be defined by the community in open calls. These topics might include among others: accreting compact objects such as black holes over their whole mass range and neutron stars, the hot gas around clusters of galaxies, distant gamma-ray bursts, supernova explosions and remnants, stars, white dwarfs, exoplanets and their parent stars, and the interstellar medium. See the  Science menu for more details.

The observatory will consist of a single large-aperture grazing-incidence X-ray telescope, utilising a novel technology (high-performance Si pore optics) developed in Europe, with a 12m focal length and 9 arcsec HEW on-axis angular resolution. The focal plane contains two instruments. One is the Wide Field Imager (WFI) providing sensitive wide-field imaging and spectroscopy and high count-rate capability. The other one is the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) delivering spatially resolved high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy over a  field of view a few arcminutes across. See the Mission menu for more details.

With its unparalleled capabilities, the telescope will be a truly transformational open observatory, operating in conjunction and synergy with other large observatories across the multi-messenger landscape in the second half of the 2030s.

 

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Athena Community Office

This web portal is managed by the Athena Community Office (ACO). The ACO is led by the Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC), and its establishment was funded by CSIC and UC. ACO activities are being funded by project PID2021-122955OB-C41 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe". Further ACO contributors are the University of Geneva, MPE and IRAP.

Contact Us

Athena Community Office

Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC)

Avda. Los Castros s/n

39005 Santander (Spain)

aco@ifca.unican.es

http://www.the-athena-x-ray-observatory.eu/