INTEGRAL: The Current Status

TL;DR

INTEGRAL is a space observatory focused on high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy and imaging, providing valuable data across X-ray and optical ranges, with an emphasis on open access for scientific research.

Contribution

This paper summarizes the mission's scientific goals, current development status, and the ground segment, highlighting its capabilities and open data policy.

Findings

High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy (2 keV FWHM at 1.3 MeV)

Imaging resolution of 12 arcmin FWHM

Wide energy range coverage from 15 keV to 10 MeV

Abstract

The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) is dedicated to the fine spectroscopy (Delta-E: 2 keV FWHM @ 1.3 MeV) and fine imaging (angular resolution: 12 arcmin FWHM) of celestial gamma-ray sources in the energy range 15 keV to 10 MeV with concurrent source monitoring in the X-ray (3 - 35 keV) and optical (V, 550 nm) range. The mission is conceived as an observatory led by ESA with contributions from Russia and NASA. The INTEGRAL observatory will provide to the science community at large an unprecedented combination of imaging and spectroscopy over a wide range of energies. Most of the observing time will be open to the scientific community. This paper summarises the key scientific goals of the mission, the current development status of the payload and spacecraft and it will give an overview of the science ground segment including data centre, science operations and the key elements of the observing programme