CXBe Payload
The Cosmic X-ray Background Explorer (CXBe) aims to measure the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) spectrum with unprecedented ~1% accuracy, an order-of-magnitude improvement over the current ~15-20% uncertainties.
The CXB traces the integrated energy released by black hole accretion across cosmic history, primarily from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Therefore, this advancement will refine synthesis models and enhance our understanding of AGN populations, particularly regarding their obscuration and X-ray reflection properties.
The CXBe mission has been endorsed for a piggyback flight with eXTP and recently secured funding for flight model (FM) development. Several key system requirements are now being addressed:
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(1) developing a long-lifetime rotating system capable of stable multi-year operation;
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(2) achieving quasi-absolute detector calibration at the ~1% level;
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(3) validating a thermal-mechanical structure that houses all subsystems.
University of Geneva will deliver an integrated CXBe FM to eXTP, and at the same time, the back-end electronics that drive all the CXBe sensors will be shared with W2C as well.
More information
For more information and details, please refer to CXBe's concept paper: