The circumstellar environment of SMC X-1 contains both a highly disruptedstellar wind and an accretion disk putting it in a class containing only threeX-ray pulsars. X-ray reprocessing in this material provide a probe of this material. The small absorbing column density to SMC X-1 and the excellentspectral sensitivity of XMM down to 350 eV make for an especially powerful probeof this material down to low ionization levels through spectral features fromK shell transitions in carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. We propose one 50 ksecobservation of SMC X-1 over an eclipse to study the extended wind and one 30ksec observation outside of eclipse to study material near the neutron star.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2001-05-31T02:13:48Z/2001-11-16T14:50:44Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr Patrick Wojdowski, 2003, 'Reprocessed X-Rays from the Disk and Highly Disrupted Wind of SMC X-1/Sk 160', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-pcsosi0
