In-orbit Demonstration of X-ray Pulsar Navigation with NinjaSat
Naoyuki Ota, Takuya Takahashi, Toru Tamagawa, Tomoshi Takeda, Teruaki Enoto, Takao Kitaguchi, Wataru Iwakiri, Yo Kato, Masaki Numazawa, Tatehiro Mihara, Hiromitsu Takahashi, Chin-Ping Hu, Yuanhui Zhou, Keisuke Uchiyama, Yuto Yoshida, Syoki Hayashi, Arata Jujo, Sota Watanabe

TL;DR
This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using a CubeSat-based X-ray observatory for pulsar navigation, achieving position accuracy within a few hundred kilometers through the SEPO method and Crab Pulsar observations.
Contribution
First experimental verification of pulsar navigation using a CubeSat X-ray observatory with the SEPO method, showing practical navigation accuracy.
Findings
Position constrained within ~40 km along Crab line of sight
3D position error ranged from 27 to 370 km
Navigation accuracy depends on seasonal geometry
Abstract
This study demonstrated the pulsar navigation capability of the CubeSat X-ray observatory NinjaSat, which is equipped with two Gas Multiplier Counters (GMCs). The GMCs are sensitive to the 2-50 keV energy band and have an effective area of 16 cm^2 per module at 6 keV. We verified the timing accuracy by observing the Crab Pulsar and confirmed stable timing performance within 100 microseconds. To demonstrate pulsar navigation, we applied a method that optimizes orbital parameters to maximize the significance of the pulsar X-ray pulse profile, known as the Significance Enhancement of Pulse-profile with Orbit-dynamics (SEPO) method. We observed the Crab Pulsar with a total exposure of approximately 100 ks at different epochs and analyzed the data transmitted to the ground. By comparing the optimized orbit with the satellite position derived from Global Positioning System data, we…
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Taxonomy
TopicsPulsars and Gravitational Waves Research · Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations · Astro and Planetary Science
