DXL: a sounding rocket mission for the study of solar wind charge exchange and local hot bubble X-ray emission

TL;DR

The DXL sounding rocket mission aims to distinguish solar wind charge exchange X-ray emission from local hot bubble emission, enhancing understanding of local X-ray sources with a brief, high-precision flight.

Contribution

It introduces a dedicated sounding rocket experiment capable of separating different X-ray emission components, surpassing current satellite capabilities.

Findings

Successful design of a high-sensitivity X-ray detector for short flights

Expected to differentiate X-ray sources in the local galaxy

Provides data that will improve models of local X-ray emission

Abstract

The Diffuse X-rays from the Local galaxy (DXL) mission is an approved sounding rocket project with a first launch scheduled around December 2012. Its goal is to identify and separate the X-ray emission generated by solar wind charge exchange from that of the local hot bubble to improve our understanding of both. With 1,000 cm2 proportional counters and grasp of about 10 cm2 sr both in the 1/4 and 3/4 keV bands, DXL will achieve in a 5-minute flight what cannot be achieved by current and future X-ray satellites.