The Suzaku Mission
(formerly Astro-E2)
(Launched 2005 July 10)
Suzaku is Japan's fifth X-ray astronomy mission, and
was developed at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA) in
collaboration with U.S. (NASA/GSFC, MIT) and Japanese institutions.
Suzaku covers the energy range 0.2 - 600 keV with the two
instruments, X-ray CCDs (X-ray Imaging Spectrometer; XIS), and the
hard X-ray detector (HXD). Suzaku also carries a third
instrument, an X-ray micro-calorimeter (X-ray Spectrometer; XRS), but the
XRS lost all its cryogen before routine scientific observations could begin.
The U.S. Suzaku Guest Observer Facility (GOF) is located at
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The GOF is part
of the Office of General Investigator Programs (OGIP) in the
Astrophysics Science Division
(ASD).
The primary responsibility of the U.S. Suzaku GOF is to enable
U.S. astronomers to make the best use of the Suzaku mission. To
fulfill this responsibility, the Suzaku GOF staff performs such
activities as supporting the U.S. side of the Suzaku proposal
selection process, distributing usable data to U.S. Guest Observers, helping
Guest Observers to analyze their data, and creating the mission archive.
In addition to the tasks listed above, the U.S. Suzaku GOF
activities include the development of software, the compilation and production
of documentation for that software, and the provision of expert help. All
of the U.S. Suzaku GOF's activities involve close collaboration
with the Japanese Suzaku team.
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astronomy/astrophysics information please go to our Education and Public Outreach site.
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