[Previous] | [Session 43] | [Next]

[43.25] \emph{B-MINE } The Balloon-Borne Microcalorimeter Nuclear Line Explorer Mission

E. Silver (Harvard-Smithsonian Center For Astrophysics), Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Collaboration, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Collaboration, University of California at Berkeley Collaboration, Osservatoria Astronomico G.S. Vaiana Collaboration, Danish Space Research Institute Collaboration, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Collaboration, University of California at Santa Cruz Collaboration, Max-Plank-Institut fuer Extraterrestriche Physik Collaboration, Brown University Collaboration, Univeridad de Valencia Collaboration, INTA/Laboratorio De Astrofisica Espacial Y Fisica Fundamental Collaboration

\emph{B-MINE} will probe the deepest regions of a supernova explosion by detecting ⁴⁴Ti emission at 68 keV with spatial and spectral resolutions that are sufficient to determine the spatial extent and velocity distribution of the ⁴⁴Ti emitting region. The payload introduces the concept of focusing optics and microcalorimeter spectroscopy to nuclear line emission astrophysics. \emph{B-MINE} has a thin, plastic foil telescope multilayered to maximize the reflectivity in a 20 keV band centered at 68 keV and a microcalorimeter array optimized for the same energy band. This combination provides a reduced background and allows an energy resolution of 50 eV and a 3 \sigma sensitivity in 10⁶ s of 3.3 \times 10^-7 ph cm^-2 s^-1 at 68 keV. During the course of a long duration balloon flight, \emph{B-MINE} will carry out a detailed study of the ⁴⁴Ti emission line centroid and width in CAS A.