Nonsolar astronomy with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)

Nonsolar astronomy with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)

March 10, 2003 | David M. Smith, Robert P. Lin, K Hurley, Wayne Coburn, G J. Hurford, Claudia Wigger, W Hajdas, Alex Zehnder, and Mark L. McConnell
The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) is a NASA Small Explorer satellite designed to study hard X-ray and gamma-ray emissions from solar flares. Its high-resolution germanium detectors also enable observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, and other astrophysical phenomena. The paper discusses the algorithms used to extract spectra, lightcurves, and other information from these observations, highlighting preliminary results and future plans. RHESSI's unpointed, spinning array of detectors allows for various analysis techniques, including burst emission, imaged observations, pulsed emission, and occultation of sources. The authors present detailed analyses of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsar studies, and occultation techniques, emphasizing the instrument's capabilities in imaging non-solar sources and studying nuclear lines. The paper also outlines the potential for RHESSI to contribute to the renaissance of gamma-ray line astrophysics, particularly in the study of diffuse emission from the inner Galaxy and point sources.The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) is a NASA Small Explorer satellite designed to study hard X-ray and gamma-ray emissions from solar flares. Its high-resolution germanium detectors also enable observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, and other astrophysical phenomena. The paper discusses the algorithms used to extract spectra, lightcurves, and other information from these observations, highlighting preliminary results and future plans. RHESSI's unpointed, spinning array of detectors allows for various analysis techniques, including burst emission, imaged observations, pulsed emission, and occultation of sources. The authors present detailed analyses of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, pulsar studies, and occultation techniques, emphasizing the instrument's capabilities in imaging non-solar sources and studying nuclear lines. The paper also outlines the potential for RHESSI to contribute to the renaissance of gamma-ray line astrophysics, particularly in the study of diffuse emission from the inner Galaxy and point sources.
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