Feasibility of Cosmic Object Detection Using an X-ray FSR System

Abstract

The feasibility of an X-ray Forward Scatter Radar (FSR) system, which exploits X-ray pulsars as opportunity transmitters, is examined. We provide a power budget estimate for detection of large cosmic objects using such a FSR system and assume the use of the high-resolution X-ray telescopes mounted on a satellite as the receivers. The numerical results are obtained for three types of pulsars and small asteroids, whose diameters equal and overcome 50m.