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arXiv · 1908.01922

In-orbit demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation with the Insight-HXMT satellite

Abstract

In this work, we report the in-orbit demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation with Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT), which was launched on Jun. 15th, 2017. The new pulsar navigation method 'Significance Enhancement of Pulse-profile with Orbit-dynamics' (SEPO) is adopted to determine the orbit with observations of only one pulsar. In this test, the Crab pulsar is chosen and observed by Insight-HXMT from Aug. 31th to Sept. 5th in 2017. Using the 5-day-long observation data, the orbit of Insight-HXMT is determined successfully with the three telescopes onboard - High Energy X-ray Telescope (HE), Medium Energy X-ray Telescope (ME) and Low Energy X-ray Telescope (LE) - respectively. Combining all the data, the position and velocity of the Insight-HXMT are pinpointed to within 10 km (3 sigma) and 10 m/s (3 sigma), respectively.

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S. J. Zheng, S. N. Zhang, F. J. Lu, W. B. Wang, Y. Gao, T. P. Li, L. M. Song, M. Y. Ge, D. W. Han, Y. Chen, Y. P. Xu, X. L. Cao, C. Z. Liu, S. Zhang, J. L. Qu, Z. Chang, G. Chen, L. Chen, T. X. Chen, Y. B. Chen, Y. P. Chen, W. Cui, W. W. Cui, J. K. Deng, Y. W. Dong, Y. Y. Du, M. X. Fu, G. H. Gao, H. Gao, M. Gao, Y. D. Gu, J. Guan, C. Gungor, C. C. Guo, W. Hu, Y. Huang, J. Huo, J. F. Ji, S. M. Jia, L. H. Jiang, W. C. Jiang, J. Jin, Y. J. Jin, B. Li, C. K. Li, G. Li, M. S. Li, W. Li, X. Li, X. B. Li, X. F. Li, Y. G. Li, Z. J. Li, Z. W. Li, X. H. Liang, J. Y. Liao, G. Q. Liu, H. W. Liu, S. Z. Liu, X. J. Liu, Y. Liu, Y. N. Liu, B. Lu, X. F. Lu, T. Luo, X. Ma, B. Meng, Y. Nang, J. Y. Nie, G Ou, N. Sai, R. C. Shang, L. Sun, Y. Tan, L. Tao, W. Tao, Y. L. Tuo, G. F. Wang, J. Wang, W. S. Wang, Y. S. Wang, X. Y. Wen, B. B. Wu, M. Wu, G. C. Xiao, S. L. Xiong, H. Xu, L. L. Yan, J. W. Yang, S. Yang, Y. J. Yang, A. M. Zhang, C. L. Zhang, C. M. Zhang, F. Zhang, H. M. Zhang, J. Zhang, Q. Zhang, T. Zhang, W. Zhang. 2019-08-06. In-orbit demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation with the Insight-HXMT satellite. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ab3718

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