Experimental Astronomy最新文献

{"title":"WCDA detector of the LHAASO experiment as a pair-meter to measure atmospheric muon spectrum","authors":"Yu. V. Stenkin,&nbsp;A. V. Butkevich,&nbsp;I. S. Karpikov,&nbsp;D. A. Kuleshov,&nbsp;K. O. Kurinov,&nbsp;X. H. Ma,&nbsp;I. O. Maliy,&nbsp;O. B. Shchegolev,&nbsp;Z. G. Yao","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10045-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10045-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The LHAASO (Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory) experiment is a multi-purpose experiment for gamma-ray astronomy, cosmic ray physics and for many other tasks. Its task number will be undoubtedly extended in future. We proposed to use existing WCDA (Water Cherenkov Detector Array being a part of LHAASO) as a pair-meter to measure atmospheric muon energy spectrum. This work confirms that WCDA without any reconstruction can serve as an optimal pair-meter to study near-horizontal atmospheric muons with energy beyond ~ 10 TeV. In this article we study response of the WCDA detector to Cherenkov light produced by high energy muons and its accompanying, taking into account the cells configuration, possible crosstalk between cells, and photomultiplier (PMT) characteristics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147738054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a one-dimensional position sensitive detector for Compton X-ray polarimeters","authors":"Abhay Kumar,&nbsp;Santosh V. Vadawale,&nbsp;N. P. S. Mithun,&nbsp;Tanmoy Chattopadhyay,&nbsp;S. K. Goyal,&nbsp;A. R. Patel,&nbsp;M. Shanmugam","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10052-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10052-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The scientific potential of X-ray polarimetry has long been recognized, but the challenges in measuring polarization have left it largely unexplored, particularly in the hard X-ray regime. While tremendous advancement has been made in soft X-ray polarimetery, the lack of sensitive hard X-ray polarimeters and polarisation measurements continues to limit our understanding of high-energy astrophysical processes. With the development of hard X-ray mirrors, it is now possible to develop a sensitive focal plane hard X-ray polarimeter. One such effort is Compton X-ray Polarimeter (CXPOL), a prototype developed at Physical Research laboratory, India, which consists of a plastic scintillator as active scatterer readout by Photomultiplier Tube (PMT) surrounded by CsI(Tl) scintillators in cylindrical array with Si photomultiplier (SiPM) readout from one side. First results of the prototype have been demonstrated in 20 to 80 keV energy range by Chattopadhyay et al. (2015). The sensitivity of the instrument can be significantly enhanced using faster and better light yield scintillator like NaI as absorbers. Further, the use of a position-sensitive scatterer surrounded by position-sensitive absorbers, can also provide spectroscopic information by measuring the interaction position along the length and from the known energy depositions in the detectors. Position sensitive detectors are also helpful in mitigating the systematic effects introduced by the off-axis events in the polarisation measurements. Here, we demonstrate the detection sensitivity in the 100x20x5 mm<span>(^{3})</span> NaI(Tl) scintillator absorber readout on both ends by Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays operating in co-incidence. In this work, we characterize the first prototype of this detector system and investigate the variation in energy and position resolution, and light output with irradiation position along the length of the detector. The two end readout in co-incidence also reduces the overall SiPM background per absorber by an order of magnitude, further enhancing the polarimetric sensitivity of the instrument.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10686-026-10052-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-precision lunar corner-cube retroreflectors: A wave-optics perspective","authors":"Slava G. Turyshev","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10048-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10048-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>High-precision corner-cube retroreflectors (CCRs) are critical for advanced lunar laser ranging (LLR) because they enable sub-millimeter-scale measurements of the Earth–Moon distance—a level of precision essential for rigorous tests of relativistic gravitation and for advancing our understanding of lunar geophysics. In this work, we develop a comprehensive two-dimensional Fourier-optics model for single CCRs with apertures ranging from 80–110 mm. Our model incorporates realistic thermal–mechanical wavefront errors, detailed diffraction effects, and velocity aberration offsets. Our analysis reveals a strong coupling between aperture size and aberration angular offset: while larger CCRs deliver high on-axis flux under near-ideal conditions, their narrow diffraction lobes suffer significant flux loss at moderate aberration offsets, thereby favoring smaller apertures with broader main lobes. Furthermore, comparisons between solid fused-silica and hollow silicon-carbide (SiC) CCRs show that hollow designs not only achieve competitive or superior photon return—particularly at 1064 nm, where phase errors are relatively reduced—but also offer nearly an order-of-magnitude mass reduction for the same aperture sizes. These results establish a robust quantitative framework for optimizing CCR designs to perform at the sub-millimeter level under realistic lunar conditions and underscore the advantages of precision hollow SiC CCRs for next-generation LLR operations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147643138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and development of a deployable boom for the MAG payload onboard Aditya-L1 spacecraft","authors":"Vipin K. Yadav,&nbsp;Pankaj Agarwal,&nbsp;Narendra S.,&nbsp;Vijay Shankar Rai,&nbsp;Vijaya Y.,&nbsp;Monika Mahajan,&nbsp;Mallikarjun K.V.L.N.,&nbsp;Srikar P. Tadepalli","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10051-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10051-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To measure the local magnetic field in space, magnetometers are regularly flown onboard space missions. In general, the spacecrafts carrying the magnetic field measuring instruments themselves generate a magnetic field which acts as magnetic noise thereby compromising the accurate measurements of magnetic fields onboard. To overcome this handicap, the spacecrafts employ long booms so that the magnetic field sensors are placed near the tip of these booms away from the spacecraft and the magnetic contamination produced by it can be avoided. The first Indian solar mission, to continuously observe and study the Sun, Aditya-L1 is placed in a halo-orbit around the first Lagrangian (L1) point. A fluxgate magnetometer (MAG) is one of the seven payloads onboard Aditya-L1 spacecraft to measure the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) around the L1 point. A 6 m long non-conducting deployable boom holds two sets of the MAG sensors. In this paper, the technical design and the realization of this MAG boom is described which is working as expected in an orbit around the L1 point.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147607261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accurate identification of X-ray single photons using multi-dimensional features and positive-unlabeled learning","authors":"Zhihui Lyu,&nbsp;Shuai Jia,&nbsp;Fei Wei,&nbsp;Songwu Peng","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10050-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10050-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Traditional thresholding for X-ray astronomical detection faces challenges in balancing low-energy photon detection efficiency and noise suppression. This paper proposes an innovative algorithm based on multidimensional feature engineering and positive-unlabeled (PU) learning. The algorithm constructs morphological features of photon events, greatly enhancing the ability to distinguish photons from noise. By combining the PU learning framework with an adaptive threshold, the algorithm addresses the identification of low-energy photons. Experimental results show that its ability to distinguish photons from noise (d’ value of 1489.49) far surpasses the upper limit of conventional methods (maximum d’ value of 11.13). The algorithm accurately recovers the low-energy spectrum, which traditional methods severely distort. This leads to more than an order of magnitude improvement in spectrum recovery accuracy (NMSE). The algorithm demonstrates excellent performance in single-photon identification, providing key technology for realizing the potential of CMOS detectors in space exploration.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147607338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A data management architecture for Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment : MACE-DMS","authors":"D. Sarkar,&nbsp;U. Karnani,&nbsp;N. Chouhan,&nbsp;K. Vaibhav,&nbsp;L. K. Patel,&nbsp;K. K. Yadav,&nbsp;K. Rajesh,&nbsp;R. Thubstan,&nbsp; Keshavanand,&nbsp;S. Godambe,&nbsp;K. Chanchalani,&nbsp;M. Khurana,&nbsp;J. Hariharan,&nbsp;K. Venugopal,&nbsp;S. Norlha,&nbsp;S. Godiyal,&nbsp;S. V. Kotwal,&nbsp;Z. A. Dar,&nbsp;P. Chandra,&nbsp;P. Pandey,&nbsp;M. K. Koul,&nbsp;V. K. Dhar,&nbsp;N. Dorji,&nbsp;P. Dorjey,&nbsp;M. Kothari,&nbsp;N. Kumar,&nbsp;N. K. Agarwal,&nbsp;P. Marandi,&nbsp;C. P. Kushwaha,&nbsp;K. K. Gour","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10049-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10049-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this digital era, the generation of data is occurring at an unprecedented rate across diverse fields, and scientific experiments are no exception. These experiments often generate massive volumes of data that require robust and efficient data management. Addressing challenges such as data archiving, backup, retrieval, and analysis are critical for ensuring the usability,longevity, and security of scientific datasets. In this paper, we present the design of a Data Management System (DMS) tailored to meet the unique requirements and complexities of a Very High Energy (VHE) ground-based gamma-ray experiment. We describe both the high-level design and low-level implementation details of the data management architecture developed for the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE). This architecture incorporates scalable storage solutions, advanced data retrieval mechanisms, and efficient analysis pipelines to support real-time processing and long-term data preservation. In addition, we present an overview of MACE observational data, storage patterns, and system performance in terms of data handling, demonstrating how DMS has effectively addressed all aspects of data management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and preliminary performance study of the broad-band spectrometer detector for POLAR-2","authors":"Jian-Chao Sun,&nbsp;Jiang He,&nbsp;Shuang-Nan Zhang,&nbsp;Shao-Lin Xiong,&nbsp;Jiang-Tao Liu,&nbsp;Yan-Bing Xu,&nbsp;Jia Ma,&nbsp;Shuo Wang,&nbsp;Lei Shuai,&nbsp;Xiu-Zuo Liang,&nbsp;Hong-Bang Liu,&nbsp;Fei Xie,&nbsp;Ming Zeng,&nbsp;Philipp Azzarello,&nbsp;Jörg Bayer,&nbsp;Franck Cadoux,&nbsp;Nicolas De Angelis,&nbsp;Huan-Bo Feng,&nbsp;Zu-Ke Feng,&nbsp;Min Gao,&nbsp;Ramandeep Gill,&nbsp;Jonathan Granot,&nbsp;Jochen Greiner,&nbsp;Alejandro Guzman,&nbsp;Jin-Xiu Hu,&nbsp;Yue Huang,&nbsp;Johannes Hulsman,&nbsp;Zheng-Huo Jiang,&nbsp;Merlin Kole,&nbsp;Dao-Wu Li,&nbsp;Han-Cheng Li,&nbsp;Tong-Lei Liao,&nbsp;Long Peng,&nbsp;Agnieszka Pollo,&nbsp;Nicolas Produit,&nbsp;Dominik Rybka,&nbsp;Andrea Santangelo,&nbsp;Li-Ming Song,&nbsp;Chris Tenzer,&nbsp;Xiao-Ming Wang,&nbsp;Yuan-Hao Wang,&nbsp;Bo-Bing Wu,&nbsp;Pei-Lian Wu,&nbsp;Xin Wu,&nbsp;Shuo Xiao,&nbsp;Sheng Yang,&nbsp;Lai-Yu Zhang,&nbsp;Lei Zhang,&nbsp;Yong-Jie Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10043-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10043-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>POLAR-2, the successor of the POLAR experiment aboard China’s Tiangong-2 space lab, is set to be deployed on the China Space Station. The POLAR-2 mission aims to conducting high-precision polarization measurements of high-energy transients with a primary focus on Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), following POLAR’s pioneering accurate polarization measurements of GRB prompt emission. One of the key advancements in POLAR-2 is the inclusion of a dedicated Broad-band Spectrometer Detector (BSD) instrument, designed to provide precise measurements of GRB location and spectral parameters, which are critical inputs for accurate polarization analysis of POLAR-2’s dedicated High-energy Polarimetry Detector (HPD), which is made of plastic scintillator bars array. BSD employs a coded-aperture mask imaging technique and pixelated GAGG scintillation crystals, offering a wide half-coded field of view of <span>(sim 132^circ times 125^circ)</span> and an operational energy range of 10–1000 keV. Simulation results indicate that the instrument can achieve a localization accuracy of approximately <span>(1.5^circ)</span> for faint GRBs similar to GRB 170817A, satisfying the core requirements of GRB polarimetry with HPD. BSD also has moderate capability for GRB polarimetry, particularly at several hundred keV energy. This paper outlines the preliminary design of BSD and presents an overall evaluation of its expected scientific performance, based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations and preliminary ground-based calibration tests.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new method for identifying contaminating sources and locating target sources through the cross-arm features of micro pore optics","authors":"Yiming Huang,&nbsp;Lian Tao,&nbsp;Jin-Yuan Liao,&nbsp;Shuang-Nan Zhang,&nbsp;Stéphane Schanne,&nbsp;Bertrand Cordier,&nbsp;Shaolin Xiong,&nbsp;Juan Zhang,&nbsp;Zhengwei Li,&nbsp;Qian-Qing Yin,&nbsp;Xiangyang Wen,&nbsp;Sheng Yang,&nbsp;Min Gao,&nbsp;Donghua Zhao,&nbsp;Xiang Ma,&nbsp;Yue Huang,&nbsp;Liang Zhang,&nbsp;Liming Song","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10046-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10046-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Pathfinder of the Type-A satellites in the Chasing All Transients Constellation Hunters (CATCH) space mission is equipped with Micro-Pore Optics (MPOs) and four single-pixel Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs). Due to the lack of position resolution in an individual SDD, we propose a new method based on the cross-arms in the point spread function (PSF) of MPOs to enhance the satellite’s capability in identifying contaminating sources and locating target sources. By placing one detector on each of the horizontal and vertical cross-arms on the focal plane, we can use the changes in the relative counts on the cross-arms detectors to deduce the location of the source. Simulated observations demonstrate that, for a target source with a flux of 1 Crab and an exposure time of 200 s, the cross-arms detectors can identify contaminating source with the same flux level at an off-axis angle larger than <span>({8'})</span>, and improve positioning accuracy to <span>({6'})</span>. Furthermore, we extend the simulation study to CATCH Type-A, which plans to use an SDD array. In situations where sources exhibit the same flux of 1 Crab and the exposure time is merely 1 s, a 16<span>(times)</span>16 SDD array is capable of identifying contaminating source with an off-axis angle greater than <span>({2.4'})</span> and can achieve a positioning precision of <span>({1.8'})</span>.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A 5kHz modulator for pyramid wavefront sensors","authors":"Maximilian Häberle,&nbsp;Vianak Naranjo,&nbsp;Yared Reinarz,&nbsp;Markus Feldt,&nbsp;Silvia Scheithauer,&nbsp;Thomas Bertram,&nbsp;Arne Bramigk,&nbsp;Harry Marth","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10044-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10044-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite the emergence of new types of wavefront sensors, the modulated pyramid wavefront sensor remains the workhorse for ELT instrumentation, and is among the options even for advanced high-contrast, high-Strehl instrumentation like PCS and SAXO+. To achieve the required degree of wavefront control, an operation at frequencies of 3kHz, ideally up to 5kHz, is necessary, requiring an optomechanical device capable of delivering accurate circular modulation patterns with these frequencies. Here, we present tests of a novel type of high-frequency modulator based on shearing piezo actuators. The modulator prototype moves a flat circular mirror (15mm diameter) with a tip-tilt range of plus/minus 50 arcsec. At a typical 10mm pupil diameter on the modulator mirror, and operating at 2.2 µm, this will create a modulation circle with a radius of slightly greater than 2<span>(lambda )</span>/D. While this is less than conventionally specified for most instruments, it should already be sufficient for any practical application except for very bad conditions or extended targets. We performed modulation tests at frequencies between 250 Hz to 5 kHz using a test setup including a modulated laser beam probed with a high-speed camera. The prototype showed stable behaviour during a one-hour-long operation at a maximum frequency of 5 kHz and with negligible heat generation. The maximum modulation amplitude was 60 arcsec. We observed very accurate reproduction of the input modulation pattern with typical ellipticities less than 1% and random deviations below 0.2% for frequencies below 4.5 kHz. These tests demonstrate the prototype’s capabilities and could be followed by on-sky tests or the integration of the modulator into XAO testbeds.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10686-026-10044-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147559440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and performance of the coded mask for the Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X)","authors":"Yuri Evangelista,&nbsp;Alessio Nuti,&nbsp;Francesco Ceraudo,&nbsp;Edoardo Giancarli,&nbsp;Giuseppe Dilillo,&nbsp;Riccardo Campana,&nbsp;Giovanni Della Casa,&nbsp;Ettore Del Monte,&nbsp;Marco Feroci,&nbsp;Mauro Fiorini,&nbsp;Giovanni Lombardi,&nbsp;Massimo Rapisarda,&nbsp;Francesca Esposito,&nbsp;Immacolata Donnarumma,&nbsp;Alessandro Turchi,&nbsp;Ugo Cortesi,&nbsp;Fabio D’Amico,&nbsp;Marco Gai,&nbsp;Andrea Argan","doi":"10.1007/s10686-026-10047-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10686-026-10047-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X) is a proposed wide-field X-ray observatory designed for deployment on the Moon’s surface. Its primary scientific goal is to enhance multi-messenger astrophysics by detecting, localizing, and monitoring high-energy transient phenomena and variable X-ray sources across the sky. Building on the heritage of the eXTP and LOFT mission proposals, LEM-X employs pairs of coded-aperture cameras equipped with large-area linear Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs), offering excellent spectral resolution (<span>(le )</span>350 eV at 6 keV) over the 2–50 keV energy range. Each camera provides a field of view of <span>(sim )</span>1 steradian at 25% effective area and achieves a Point-Source Location Accuracy (PSLA) of <span>(sim )</span>1 arcminute, with an on-axis sensitivity better than 5 mCrab in 50 ks and <span>(sim )</span>700 mCrab in 1 s. In this paper we describe the experiment and focus on the detailed design and optimization of the LEM-X coded mask, analyzing its scientific performance, imaging capabilities, and thermo-mechanical properties. We describe the mask code generation, decoding algorithms, and the trade-offs involved in achieving the required angular resolution, sensitivity, and structural integrity. Imaging simulations and mechanical analyses confirm the effectiveness of the proposed design, demonstrating its suitability for high-precision, wide-field X-ray imaging devoted to multi-messenger astrophysics and transient events detection.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":551,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Astronomy","volume":"61 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10686-026-10047-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147559749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}