The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a soft gamma-ray study telescope (0.2-5 MeV) designed to probe the origins of Galactic positrons, discover the websites of nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy, perform pioneering studies of gamma-ray polarization, and find counterparts to multi-messenger sources. COSIs compact Compton telescope integrates improvement in level of sensitivity, spectral resolution, angular resolution, and sky coverage to facility groundbreaking science. Credit: NASA
NASA has actually selected a brand-new space telescope proposal that will study the current history of star birth, star death, and the development of chemical components in the Milky Way. The gamma-ray telescope, called the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), is anticipated to launch in 2025 as NASAs newest little astrophysics objective.
NASAs Astrophysics Explorers Program got 18 telescope proposals in 2019 and chosen four for mission concept research studies. After detailed evaluation of these studies by a panel of engineers and researchers, NASA selected COSI to continue into development.
” For more than 60 years, NASA has actually supplied opportunities for inventive, smaller-scale objectives to fill understanding spaces where we still look for responses,” stated Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the firms Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “COSI will respond to concerns about the origin of the chemical components in our own Milky Way galaxy, the extremely active ingredients important to the formation of Earth itself.”
The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a soft gamma-ray survey telescope (0.2-5 MeV) developed to penetrate the origins of Galactic positrons, reveal the sites of nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy, carry out pioneering research studies of gamma-ray polarization, and discover counterparts to multi-messenger sources. COSIs compact Compton telescope integrates enhancement in level of sensitivity, spectral resolution, angular resolution, and sky coverage to center groundbreaking science. COSIs principal detective is John Tomsick at the University of California, Berkeley. The Cosmic Background Explorer, another NASA Explorer mission, led to a Nobel Prize in 2006 for its primary investigators.
NASA has actually selected a new gamma-ray area telescope, the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), that will chart the development of the Milky Way, seen here in this illustration. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
COSI will study gamma rays from radioactive atoms produced when huge stars exploded to map where chemical components were formed in the Milky Way. The objective will also penetrate the mysterious origin of our galaxys positrons, also known as antielectrons– subatomic particles that have the exact same mass as an electron however a favorable charge.
COSIs principal detective is John Tomsick at the University of California, Berkeley. The objective will cost around $145 million, not including launch expenses. NASA will pick a launch company later.
The COSI team spent decades establishing their innovation through flights on clinical balloons. In 2016, they sent out a version of the gamma-ray instrument aboard NASAs super pressure balloon, which is developed for heavy lifts and long flights.
NASAs Explorers Program is the companys earliest constant program. It provides frequent, low-cost access to area using principal investigator-led area research appropriate to the astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Considering that the 1958 launch of Explorer 1, which found Earths radiation belts, the program has actually released more than 90 missions. The Cosmic Background Explorer, another NASA Explorer mission, caused a Nobel Prize in 2006 for its principal private investigators.
NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, handles the program for the agency.