Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer

The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) is a satellite that observes the time structure of astronomical x-ray sources. The RXTE has three instruments --the Proportional Counter Array, the High-Energy X-ray Timing Experiment(HEXTE), and one instrument called the All Sky Monitor. The RXTE observes x-rays from black holes, neutron stars, X-ray pulsars and x-ray bursts.

RXTE was launched from Cape Canaveral on 30 December 1995 on a Delta rocket, has an International Designator of [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1995-074A 1995-074A] and a mass of 3200 kg.

Observations from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer have been used as evidence for the existence of the frame-dragging effect predicted by the theory of general relativity. RXTE results have, as of late 2007, been used in more than 1400 scientific papers.

In January 2006 it was announced that Rossi had been used to locate a candidate intermediate-mass black hole named M82 X-1. [http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/dying_star_reveals_more_evidence_for_new_kind_of_black_hole_9685] . In February 2006 data from RXTE was used to prove that the diffuse background x-ray glow in our galaxy comes from innumerable, previously undetected white dwarfs and from other stars' coronae. [ cite web |url=http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1681_1.asp |title=Galactic Glow Gleaned] In April 2008 RXTE data was used to infer the size of the smallest known black hole. [ cite web|title=NASA Scientists Identify Smallest Known Black Hole | url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/smallest_blackhole.html | date=2008-04-01]

External links

* [http://xte.mit.edu/ MIT's Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Project]
* [http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/xte_1st.html NASA Mission Site]
* [http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.asp?showID=1713 Video documentary]

"An early version of this article was adapted from public domain material from http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/xhp_glance.html"

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