Brazil and Italy Discuss Instruments for Satellite

Hello reader!

It follows down one communicates placed in English day (10/06) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) emphasising that Italian experts are in the institute to argue the scientific instruments of the “Mission MIRAX” that it will be included onboard of the satellite LATTES-1.

Duda Falcão

Brazilian and Italian Experts Discuss on

Partnership in the Space Astronomy Field

10-06-2010

The Italian delegation of specialists in astrophysics is in São José dos Campos – SP at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) to discuss on MIRAX scientific instruments (Monitor and X-ray imager). First Brazilian space astronomy mission - on board a satellite - the MIRAX will study the galactic center and its objects, like black holes and neutron stars.

Besides the X-ray imager camera developed in Brazil by INPE, the MIRAX still may have more two Italian instruments. Along with the Brazilian astrophysical and space engineers will participate in this meeting the INAF specialists (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica), the IASF (Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale and Fisica Cosmica) and the University of Ferrara.

According to João Braga, deputy director of INPE and MIRAX coordinator, the partnership may also bring a scientific exchange between the INPE and the Italian institutions. "The project has the support of ICRANet, an international network of research groups in the Relativity, Cosmology and Astrophysics scope. Data generated by the MIRAX mission will be used by Brazilian researchers and will also be important in terms of international scientific cooperation. "

MIRAX will be aboard the LATTES, a scientific satellite developed by INPE and scheduled for launching in 2014, which will serve not only the astronomical objectives but the mission EQUARS as well, this study is focused on the low, middle and upper atmosphere and ionosphere in the equatorial region. In the case of MIRAX mission, the target is to survey unprecedented spectral and temporal behavior of a large number of transient X-ray sources on time scales of hours to months.

"These X-ray sources vary over time and need tools that observe attentively a wide range of sources for as long as possible. The X-rays emitters are usually associated with the presence of remnants of stars, compact objects (black holes, neutron and white dwarf stars), and in many cases, manifest themselves through massive cosmic explosions, "said João Braga.

The MIRAX instruments are being developed at INPE, along with other Brazilian institutions, such as USP, UFRN and UFRS and from abroad such as the University of California and MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from U.S.A and University of Tuebingen, Germany, among others. With MIRAX launching, Brazil will obtain data on important astrophysical objects category and may give a significant contribution to the human knowledge about the universe.

Source: Website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)