Unraveling the Universe's Hottest Mysteries: XRISM's Spectroscopic Quest
Japan's XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) observatory, set to launch on August 25, will provide unprecedented insights into the universe's hottest places using ultra-cold instruments. XRISM's Resolve instrument, developed in collaboration between NASA and JAXA, will allow scientists to study cosmic X-ray sources and reveal their brightness and chemical composition. The detector for Resolve is colder than any known cosmic location, enabling it to measure the tiny temperature increase caused by X-rays. XRISM's other instrument, Xtend, will provide complementary information as an X-ray imager. The mission aims to study supernova remnants, black holes, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies.