Solar X-Ray Spectrometer, or SOXS, was an experimental payload launched onboard Indian

geostationary satellite A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitude ...

GSAT-2 GSAT-2 was an experimental communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and launched on one of the first GSLVs. The satellite was positioned at 48 deg east longitude in the geo-stationary orbit. Payloads GSAT-2 ...

by the

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...

, ISRO. SOXS collected data about X-ray emissions from

solar flare A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other solar phe ...

s with high energy and temporal resolutions.

Features

* X-Ray Spectrometer (SOXS) was flown onboard

on 8-May-2003. * SOXS employs Si and CZT

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical resistivity and conductivity, electrical conductivity value falling between that of a electrical conductor, conductor, such as copper, and an insulator (electricity), insulator, such as glas ...

devices, which are extremely high resolution and low noise detectors. * Detector package is mounted on a Sun Pointing Mechanism with tracking accuracy better than 0.1 degree. * Pulse Height (PHA) measurements in 256 channels. * System Dead Time- 16

microsecond A microsecond is a unit of time in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one millionth (0.000001 or 10−6 or ) of a second. Its symbol is μs, sometimes simplified to us when Unicode is not available. A microsecond is equal to 1000 n ...

s for Si Pin and 13 microseconds for CZT. * Energy window counters. * On board calibration using

Cd109 CD109 (Cluster of Differentiation 109) is a human gene. CD109 is a GPI-linked cell surface antigen expressed by CD34+ acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, T-cell lines, activated T lymphoblasts, endothelial cells, and activated platelets (Lin et al. ...

Radio isotope A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transfe ...

. * System Health Parameters Monitoring. * Onboard selection for Background Rejection (LLD/Threshold). * In view of

Temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

sensitivity of the detectors, observational interval is < 3 Hrs starting from 04:00 to 06:45 UT. *Block Schematics of SLD Payload (SLED, SFE, SLE and SCE) *SSTM Daily Tracking (0 to 189 degrees)

References

Astronomical spectroscopy {{Space-stub