The Black Hole Explorer: Instrument System Overview

TL;DR

The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) is a space VLBI mission concept designed to study supermassive black holes with unprecedented resolution by combining space-based and ground-based millimeter-wave interferometry, focusing on the photon ring and black hole physics.

Contribution

This paper presents the instrument system overview for BHEX, detailing the dual-band coherent receiver, antenna design, and data transmission system for space-based VLBI observations.

Findings

Design of a dual-band, 80-320 GHz receiver system

Implementation of laser data link for high-bandwidth data transmission

Baseline instrument concept addressing sensitivity and coherence challenges

Abstract

The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) is a space very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) mission concept that is currently under development. BHEX will study supermassive black holes at unprecedented resolution, isolating the signature of the "photon ring" - light that has orbited the black hole before escaping - to probe physics at the edge of the observable universe. It will also measure black hole spins, study the energy extraction and acceleration mechanisms for black hole jets, and characterize the black hole mass distribution. BHEX achieves high angular resolution by joining with ground-based millimeter-wavelength VLBI arrays, extending the size, and therefore improving the angular resolution of the earthbound telescopes. Here we discuss the science instrument concept for BHEX. The science instrument for BHEX is a dual-band, coherent receiver system for 80-320 GHz, coupled to a 3.5-meter antenna. BHEX receiver front end will observe simultaneously with dual polarizations in two bands, one sampling 80-106 GHz and one sampling 240-320 GHz. An ultra-stable quartz oscillator provides the master frequency reference and ensures coherence for tens of seconds. To achieve the required sensitivity, the front end will instantaneously receive 32 GHz of frequency bandwidth, which will be digitized to 64 Gbits/sec of incompressible raw data. These data will be buffered and transmitted to the ground via laser data link, for correlation with data recorded simultaneously at radio telescopes on the ground. We describe the challenges associated with the instrument concept and the solutions that have been incorporated into the baseline design.