SMEX03-0046-0026

Dark Universe Observatory - an X-ray Survey of the North Galactic Cap and the South Galactic Pole to Measure the Properties of Dark Energy and Dark Matter and to Constrain the theories of Inflation

Richard Griffiths (PI), Carnegie Mellon University

What is the nature of the Dark Energy that is driving the universe apart? This is the greatest problem confronting astronomy and physics today. Clusters offer an ideal probe of cosmology because they are the best tracer of the Dark Matter and their distribution on very large scales is dominated by the Dark Energy. The DUO mission will measure the power spectrum of the density fluctuations of clusters and their number density as a function of cosmic time. These measurements will lead to the equation of state of Dark Energy and will constrain the nature of inflation. DUO will detect 10,000 clusters of galaxies in a survey of the North Galactic Cap already surveyed optically (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and a smaller region at the South Galactic Pole. It will also detect a total of about 160,000 AGN in these two surveys and these will be used to study AGN evolution and clustering. DUO is, in essence, a reflight of the ABRIXAS X-ray astronomy telescope, so that all elements are at a high Technology Readiness Level. The detector package is similar to that in operation on XMM-Newton and is provided by MPE, Germany. The Ball Aerospace RS-300 spacecraft bus has a high degree of heritage and this simple experiment is low risk. The Taurus launch will place the payload into orbit in August 2007.

Griffiths , Richard	Principal Investigator	Carnegie Mellon University
Barcons , Xavier	Co-Investigator	Instituto de Fisica Cientificas
Bohringer , Hans	Co-Investigator	MPE
Burkett , Susan	Authorizing Official	Carnegie Mellon University
Cominsky , Lynn	Co-Investigator	Sonoma State University
Friedrich , Peter	Co-Investigator	MPE
Haiman , Zoltan	Co-Investigator	Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory
Hasinger , Guenther	Co-Investigator	MPE
Henry , Patrick	Co-Investigator	University of Hawaii at Manoa
Jahoda , Keith	Co-Investigator	NASA GSFC
Jordan , Steven	Industry Partner	Ball Aerospace
Kendziorra , Eckhard	Co-Investigator	Universitaet Tuebingen
Loeb , Abraham	Co-Investigator	Harvard College Observatory
Meidinger , Norbert	Co-Investigator	MPE
Miyaji , Takamitsu	Co-Investigator	Carnegie Mellon University
Mohr , Joseph	Co-Investigator	University of Illinois
Mushotzky , Richard	Co-Investigator	NASA/GSFC
Petre , Robert	Co-Investigator	NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Pfefferman , Elmar	Co-Investigator	MPE
Predehl , Peter	Co-Investigator	MPE
Purcell , William	Industry Partner	Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp
Struder , Lothar	Co-Investigator	MPE
White , Nicholas	Co-Investigator	Goddard Space Flight Center