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<H1>The X-Ray Timing Explorer Project</H1>
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XTE was <a href="xte_launch1.jpg">
launched</a> at 8:48 EST Saturday December 30, 1995.
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[ <a href="asmlc/ASM.html">ASM Light Curves</a> |
<a href="asmlc/One-Day.html">One-Day Averages</a> |
<a href="asm_status.html#bottom">Analysis & Instrument Status</a> |
<a href="xte_anno.html">Source Activity</a> |
<a href="asmlc/ptplot/lightcurves/sources.html">Source List</a> |
Main Page ]
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The <a href="pictures/xteline.gif">X-ray Timing Explorer</a>, a NASA mission originally
<A HREF="launchDates.html"> scheduled </A> for launch in
August 1995, is designed to facilitate the study of time variability
in the emission of X-ray sources with moderate spectral
resolution. Time scales from microseconds to months are covered in an
instantaneous spectral range from 2 to 250 keV. It is designed for a
required life time of two years, a goal of five years.
<P>
The mission carries two pointed instruments, the Proportional Counter
Array (PCA) developed by GSFC to cover the lower part of the energy
range, and the <a href="http://mamacass.ucsd.edu:8080/hexte/hexte.html">
High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment</a> (HEXTE) developed
by UCSD covering the the upper energy range. These instruments are
equipped with collimators yielding a FWHM of one degree.
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<img align=right height=97 width=89 src="http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/dasmith/fotos/asm2.gif">
MIT is providing an
<a href="http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/dasmith/fotos/asm2.gif">
All-Sky Monitor</a> (ASM) that will scan about
80% of the sky every orbit, allowing monitoring at time scales of 90
minutes or longer, and an on board Experiment Data System (EDS) which
processes the data from PCA and ASM. (see below for technical information
and the current status of these instruments) The ASM will observe the
brightest known X-ray sources for variability and also alert the community
when new sources appear.
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The <A HREF="http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/XTESOC.html">Science
Operations Center</A> at the
<A HREF="http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/NASA_homepage.html">NASA</A>'s
<A HREF="http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/GSFC_homepage.html">Goddard Space Flight Center</A>
will manage the mission science operations. More information about the spacecraft and the instruments can be had from NASA <A HREF="http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/XTE.html">HEASARC</A>. The <a href="http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/0/docs/xte/xte_1st
.html">Guest Obeserver Facility</a> contains useful information about doing science with XTE.
<P>
<H2>Technical information</H2>
<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="http://snebulos.mit.edu/xte/">Engineering Data</A>; updated periodically.
<LI> The most recent <A HREF="asm_status.html#bottom">ASM Status</A> report; last updated 5 September, 1996.
<LI> The collected <A HREF="asm_status.html">ASM Status Reports</a> since 04 February, 1996.
</UL>
<H2>Documents about XTE</H2>
<UL>
<LI> <A Href="BrochAAS92_ToC.html">X-ray Timing Explorer - Taking the
Pulse of the Universe (1992)</A>: An overview of the mission.
<LI> John Doty's paper about the <A HREF="papers/doty.ps">All Sky Monitor (Postscript)</A>
(An <A HREF="papers/doty/doty.html">HTML version</A> of the above
(needs equations fixed and figures scanned).)
<LI> The <A HREF="http://snebulos.mit.edu/data/xtebase.html">XTE Configuration Database</A>
<LI> The <A HREF="flight.html">Flight Documents</A> (Postscript) written by James E. Francis
<LI> <A Href="flight/eds.ps">The XTE Experiment Data System (Postscript)</A> written by D. Gordon
<LI> <A Href="flight/eds_asm_implemt.ps">EDS-ASM Science Modes Implementation (Postscript)</A>
</UL>
<h2>ASM Light Curves</h2>
<a href="asmlc/ASM.html">ASM light curves</A> are availble
for browsing. The RXTE <A HREF="http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/0/docs/xte/xte_1st.html">
Guest Observer Facility</A> is providing the complete ASM FITS file archive.
There is also a list of <a href="asmlc/sources.html">sources</a> as well as a
running description of interesting <A HREF="xte_anno.html">
source activity</a> to help you browse through the light curves.
<H2>Staff</H2>
<H3>Scientists</H3>
<UL>
<LI> Hale Bradt (Principal Investigator, emeritus)
<LI> Alan Levine (Principal Investigator)
<LI> <a href="http://space.mit.edu/~ehm/">Ed Morgan</a> (EDS Instrument Scientist)
<LI> Ron Remillard (ASM Instrument Scientist)
<LI> <A HREF="http://space.mit.edu/~cui/"> Wei Cui</a>
</UL>
<H3>Graduate Students</H3>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/dasmith/">Don Smith</a>
<LI> <a href="http://space.mit.edu/~shirey/">Bob Shirey</a>
<LI>Mike Muno
</UL>
<H3>Software Engineers</H3>
<UL>
<LI> Royce Buehler
<LI> Doug Alan
</UL>
<h3>Research Staff</h3>
<UL>
<LI> Joan Quigley
<LI> <a href="http://space.mit.edu/~chekov">Alan Wood</a>
</UL>
<P>
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This page is maintained by <a href="mailto:dasmith@space.mit.edu">dasmith@space.mit.edu</a>
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