Exploring the Hard X-/soft gamma-ray Continuum Spectra with Laue Lenses

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of Laue lens-based hard X-ray telescopes that significantly improve sensitivity in the 60-600 keV range, enabling new astrophysical observations.

Contribution

It presents the design and expected performance of a broad-band Laue lens telescope, demonstrating potential sensitivity improvements over current instruments.

Findings

Expected sensitivity of ~1×10⁻⁸ photons cm⁻² s⁻¹ keV⁻¹ at 200 keV

Multi-lens configurations can achieve orders of magnitude better sensitivity

Unprecedented sensitivity opens new astrophysical research opportunities

Abstract

The history of X-ray astronomy has shown that any advancement in our knowledge of the X-ray sky is strictly related to an increase in instrument sensitivity. At energies above 60 keV, there are interesting prospects for greatly improving the limiting sensitivity of the current generation of direct viewing telescopes (with or without coded masks), offered by the use of Laue lenses. We will discuss below the development status of a Hard X-Ray focusing Telescope (HAXTEL) based on Laue lenses with a broad bandpass (from 60 to 600 keV) for the study of the X-ray continuum of celestial sources. We show two examplesof multi-lens configurations with expected sensitivity orders of magnitude better ($\sim 1 \times 10^{-8}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ keV$^{-1}$ at 200 keV) than that achieved so far. With this unprecedented sensitivity, very exciting astrophysical prospects are opened.