Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2010 · 31 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesAerospace EngineeringGeophysicsExploration GeophysicsGravitySpacecraft DesignPolarization OpticsX-ray DetectorsX-ray PolarimetryLaunch ReadinessMission ObjectivesPhotoelectric Effect PolarimetryPhotoelectric PolarimetryPolarimetryPolarization MeasurementsPolarization-sensitive DetectorsX-ray Polarization Measurements
The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS), currently in Phase B, will be the 13th in NASA's Small Explorer series and is being developed for an April 2014 launch readiness date. Sensitive X-ray polarization measurements are enabled by advances in photoelectric polarimetry. This paper summarizes the scientific objectives and mission characteristics which exploit this advance.