Small Explorer (SMEX) Concept Studies

Six SMEX Missions and One Mission of Opportunity Selected for Concept Study

SMEX Missions (selected for study)

• DUO: Dark Universe Observatory (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: Richard E. Griffiths, Carnegie Mellon University
  DUO is seven X-ray telescopes that would measure the dark matter and dark energy that dominate the content of the Universe. DUO would image the X-ray emitting gas in clusters of galaxies with 100 times the sensitivity of previous surveys, and would use the clusters as tracers of the dark side of the Universe to provide the most sensitive measurements to date of dark matter and dark energy. DUO would be led by Richard E. Griffiths of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a total mission cost to NASA of $132 million.

• IBEX: Insterstellar Boundary Explorer (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: David J. McComas, Southwest Research Institute
  IBEX is a pair of cameras that would image the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. With instrumentation over 100 times more sensitive than previous experiments, IBEX would use atoms from the outer edge of the Solar System to study the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. IBEX would be led by David J. McComas of the Southwest Research Institute, Austin, Texas, at a total mission cost to NASA of $132 million.

• JMEX: Jupiter Magnetospheric Explorer (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: Nicholas M. Schneider, University of Colorado, Boulder
  JMEX is a mission that would study the Solar System's largest and most energetic magnetosphere. From Earth orbit, JMEX would make the first simultaneous, global, long-term measurements of the volcanic input from the satellite Io, the Io plasma torus, and Jupiter's aurora. JMEX would be led by Nicholas M. Schneider of the University of Colorado at Boulder, at a total mission cost to NASA of $133 million.

• NEXUS: Normal Incidence Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: Joseph M. Davila, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
  NEXUS is a solar spectrometer that would reveal the cause of coronal heating and solar wind acceleration. NEXUS would address these outstanding questions with its simultaneous major advances in sensitivity, in spatial resolution, and in spectral resolution. NEXUS would be led by Joseph M. Davila of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, at a total mission cost to NASA of $131 million.

• NuSTAR: The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: Fiona Anne Harrison, California Institute of Technology
  NuSTAR is the first telescope to focus and detect high-energy X-rays. Using focusing optics and pixelized solid state detectors that make it 1000 times more sensitive than previous experiments, NuSTAR would carry out the most complete census to date of black holes on all scales and will look for tell-tale signs of hidden supernovae that are obscured from discovery by interstellar gas and dust clouds. NuSTAR would be lead by Fiona Anne Harrison of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, at a total mission cost to NASA of $132 million.

Mission of Opportunity (selected for study)

• ANITA: Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (abstract)
  Principal Investigator: Peter W. Gorham, University of Hawaii
  ANITA would test the fundamental laws of high-energy physics and astrophysics by observing the signature of neutrinos created when the highest energy cosmic-rays in the Universe interact with the microwave photons of the cosmic microwave background. Floating on a gigantic stratospheric balloon 40 km above Antarctica, the directional radio antenna would detect radio frequency signals emitted when the neutrinos interact in the Antarctic ice shelf. ANITA would be led by Peter W. Gorham of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, at a total mission cost to NASA of $35 million.

SMEX Downselect Page

NASA Headquarters Responsible Office: Code SZ
Last Updated: 06 November 2003
Author: Paul Hertz (Code SZ)