The All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory eXplorer (AMEGO-X) Mission Concept

TL;DR

AMEGO-X is a proposed space telescope designed to significantly improve gamma-ray observations in the 100 keV to 1 GeV range, enabling new insights into extreme astrophysical phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a novel all-sky gamma-ray observatory with an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than previous instruments in this energy range.

Findings

Proposed to observe nearly the entire sky every two orbits.

Expected to build a sensitive all-sky gamma-ray map.

Submitted for NASA MIDEX mission selection in 2021.

Abstract

The All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory eXplorer (AMEGO-X) is designed to identify and characterize gamma rays from extreme explosions and accelerators. The main science themes include: supermassive black holes and their connections to neutrinos and cosmic rays; binary neutron star mergers and the relativistic jets they produce; cosmic ray particle acceleration sources including Galactic supernovae; and continuous monitoring of other astrophysical events and sources over the full sky in this important energy range. AMEGO-X will probe the medium energy gamma-ray band using a single instrument with sensitivity up to an order of magnitude greater than previous telescopes in the energy range 100 keV to 1 GeV that can be only realized in space. During its three-year baseline mission, AMEGO-X will observe nearly the entire sky every two orbits, building up a sensitive all-sky map of gamma-ray sources and emission. AMEGO-X was submitted in the recent 2021 NASA MIDEX Announcement of Opportunity.