Astrophysics Experiment for Grating and Imaging Spectroscopy,

Astrophysics Experiment for Grating and Imaging Spectroscopy (AEGIS), is a concept for a high-throughput, high-resolution, moderate cost, X-ray spectrometer. This is for a new high energy astrophysics mission proposed to NASA. High resolution spectroscopy has enhanced much of our astrophysical knowledge and AEGIS should have over 40 times the resolution in its .2-1 Kev (100-600nm) range compared to other projects such as the XMM-Newton RGS or Chandra Gratings. Greater resolutions allows AEGIS to distinguish between multiple bright light sources that are close to each other while also allowing more precise measurements. AEGIS will be the first observatory with sufficient resolution at E < 1 KeV to resolve thermally broadened lines in hot plasmas (T>10^7K) AEGIS will be able to observe so well because it uses advanced X-ray optics. The results from AEGIS, along with Hubble, will give an accurate description of the intergalactic medium. By observing light at high energies, AEGIS may be able to answer questions about: large scale structures and their evolution, how matter behaves near high density objects such as neutron stars, and what happens close to high gravity objects like black holes.