The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus
Since the discovery of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), astronomers have strived to understand the accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) contributing to its peak in the 10–40 keV band. Existing soft X-ray telescopes could study this population up to only 10 keV, and, while NuSTAR (focusing on...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2024.1340719/full |
| _version_ | 1827315555516809216 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Civano X. Zhao P. G. Boorman S. Marchesi S. Marchesi T. Ananna S. Creech S. Creech C.-T. Chen C.-T. Chen R. C. Hickox D. Stern K. Madsen J. A. García R. Silver R. Silver J. Aird D. M. Alexander M. Baloković M. Baloković W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt J. Buchner P. Gandhi E. Kammoun E. Kammoun S. LaMassa G. Lanzuisi A. Merloni A. Moretti K. Nandra E. Nardini A. Pizzetti S. Puccetti R. W. Pfeifle R. W. Pfeifle C. Ricci C. Ricci D. Spiga N. Torres-Albà |
| author_facet | F. Civano X. Zhao P. G. Boorman S. Marchesi S. Marchesi T. Ananna S. Creech S. Creech C.-T. Chen C.-T. Chen R. C. Hickox D. Stern K. Madsen J. A. García R. Silver R. Silver J. Aird D. M. Alexander M. Baloković M. Baloković W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt J. Buchner P. Gandhi E. Kammoun E. Kammoun S. LaMassa G. Lanzuisi A. Merloni A. Moretti K. Nandra E. Nardini A. Pizzetti S. Puccetti R. W. Pfeifle R. W. Pfeifle C. Ricci C. Ricci D. Spiga N. Torres-Albà |
| author_sort | F. Civano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the discovery of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), astronomers have strived to understand the accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) contributing to its peak in the 10–40 keV band. Existing soft X-ray telescopes could study this population up to only 10 keV, and, while NuSTAR (focusing on 3–24 keV) made great progress, it also left significant uncertainties in characterizing the hard X-ray population, crucial for calibrating current population synthesis models. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of simulations of two extragalactic surveys (deep and wide) with the High-Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P), each observed for 2 Ms. Applying established source detection techniques, we show that HEX-P surveys will reach a flux of ∼10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in the 10–40 keV band, an order of magnitude fainter than current NuSTAR surveys. With the large sample of new hard X-ray detected sources (∼2000), we showcase HEX-P’s ability to resolve more than 80% of the CXB up to 40 keV into individual sources. The expected precision of HEX-P’s resolved background measurement will allow us to distinguish between population synthesis models of SMBH growth. HEX-P will leverage accurate broadband (0.5–40 keV) spectral analysis and the combination of soft and hard X-ray colors to provide obscuration constraints even for the fainter sources, with the overall objective of measuring the Compton-thick fraction. With unprecedented sensitivity in the 10–40 keV band, HEX-P will explore the hard X-ray emission from AGN to flux limits never reached before, thus expanding the parameter space for serendipitous discoveries. Consequently, it is plausible that new models will be needed to capture the population HEX-P will unveil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:58:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94dd8252c17945e09edeaabcce5a31d1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:58:17Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-94dd8252c17945e09edeaabcce5a31d12024-03-18T04:28:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2024-03-011110.3389/fspas.2024.13407191340719The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focusF. Civano0X. Zhao1P. G. Boorman2S. Marchesi3S. Marchesi4T. Ananna5S. Creech6S. Creech7C.-T. Chen8C.-T. Chen9R. C. Hickox10D. Stern11K. Madsen12J. A. García13R. Silver14R. Silver15J. Aird16D. M. Alexander17M. Baloković18M. Baloković19W. N. Brandt20W. N. Brandt21W. N. Brandt22J. Buchner23P. Gandhi24E. Kammoun25E. Kammoun26S. LaMassa27G. Lanzuisi28A. Merloni29A. Moretti30K. Nandra31E. Nardini32A. Pizzetti33S. Puccetti34R. W. Pfeifle35R. W. Pfeifle36C. Ricci37C. Ricci38D. Spiga39N. Torres-Albà40NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United StatesHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, United StatesCahill Center for Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United StatesINAF—Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesAstrophysics Science Division, SURA/GSFC/CRESST II, Greenbelt, MD, United StatesScience and Technology Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Huntsville, AL, United States0Astrophysics Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, United States1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States2Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United StatesNASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United StatesNASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United StatesNASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States3NASA NPP Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, United States4Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom5Department of Physics, Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom6Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, New Haven, CT, United States7Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States8Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States9Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States0Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States1Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany2Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom3INAF–Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, Italy4Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy5Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, United StatesINAF—Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy1Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany6INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, Italy1Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany3INAF–Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States7ASI—Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, ItalyNASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States3NASA NPP Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, United States8Núcleo de Astronom ía de la Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile9Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing, China0INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United StatesSince the discovery of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), astronomers have strived to understand the accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) contributing to its peak in the 10–40 keV band. Existing soft X-ray telescopes could study this population up to only 10 keV, and, while NuSTAR (focusing on 3–24 keV) made great progress, it also left significant uncertainties in characterizing the hard X-ray population, crucial for calibrating current population synthesis models. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of simulations of two extragalactic surveys (deep and wide) with the High-Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P), each observed for 2 Ms. Applying established source detection techniques, we show that HEX-P surveys will reach a flux of ∼10−15 erg s−1 cm−2 in the 10–40 keV band, an order of magnitude fainter than current NuSTAR surveys. With the large sample of new hard X-ray detected sources (∼2000), we showcase HEX-P’s ability to resolve more than 80% of the CXB up to 40 keV into individual sources. The expected precision of HEX-P’s resolved background measurement will allow us to distinguish between population synthesis models of SMBH growth. HEX-P will leverage accurate broadband (0.5–40 keV) spectral analysis and the combination of soft and hard X-ray colors to provide obscuration constraints even for the fainter sources, with the overall objective of measuring the Compton-thick fraction. With unprecedented sensitivity in the 10–40 keV band, HEX-P will explore the hard X-ray emission from AGN to flux limits never reached before, thus expanding the parameter space for serendipitous discoveries. Consequently, it is plausible that new models will be needed to capture the population HEX-P will unveil.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2024.1340719/fullX-raysurveysAGNobscurationmodelscosmic X-ray background |
| spellingShingle | F. Civano X. Zhao P. G. Boorman S. Marchesi S. Marchesi T. Ananna S. Creech S. Creech C.-T. Chen C.-T. Chen R. C. Hickox D. Stern K. Madsen J. A. García R. Silver R. Silver J. Aird D. M. Alexander M. Baloković M. Baloković W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt W. N. Brandt J. Buchner P. Gandhi E. Kammoun E. Kammoun S. LaMassa G. Lanzuisi A. Merloni A. Moretti K. Nandra E. Nardini A. Pizzetti S. Puccetti R. W. Pfeifle R. W. Pfeifle C. Ricci C. Ricci D. Spiga N. Torres-Albà The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences X-ray surveys AGN obscuration models cosmic X-ray background |
| title | The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus |
| title_full | The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus |
| title_fullStr | The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus |
| title_full_unstemmed | The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus |
| title_short | The high energy X-ray probe (HEX-P): bringing the cosmic X-ray background into focus |
| title_sort | high energy x ray probe hex p bringing the cosmic x ray background into focus |
| topic | X-ray surveys AGN obscuration models cosmic X-ray background |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2024.1340719/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fcivano thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT xzhao thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT pgboorman thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT smarchesi thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT smarchesi thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT tananna thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT screech thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT screech thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ctchen thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ctchen thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rchickox thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dstern thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT kmadsen thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jagarcia thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rsilver thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rsilver thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jaird thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dmalexander thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT mbalokovic thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT mbalokovic thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jbuchner thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT pgandhi thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ekammoun thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ekammoun thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT slamassa thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT glanzuisi thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT amerloni thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT amoretti thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT knandra thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT enardini thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT apizzetti thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT spuccetti thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rwpfeifle thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rwpfeifle thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT cricci thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT cricci thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dspiga thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ntorresalba thehighenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT fcivano highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT xzhao highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT pgboorman highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT smarchesi highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT smarchesi highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT tananna highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT screech highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT screech highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ctchen highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ctchen highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rchickox highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dstern highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT kmadsen highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jagarcia highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rsilver highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rsilver highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jaird highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dmalexander highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT mbalokovic highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT mbalokovic highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT wnbrandt highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT jbuchner highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT pgandhi highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ekammoun highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ekammoun highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT slamassa highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT glanzuisi highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT amerloni highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT amoretti highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT knandra highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT enardini highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT apizzetti highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT spuccetti highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rwpfeifle highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT rwpfeifle highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT cricci highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT cricci highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT dspiga highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus AT ntorresalba highenergyxrayprobehexpbringingthecosmicxraybackgroundintofocus |