Speaker
Description
The study of the dynamic Universe is entering a new era of time-domain, multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy. High-energy transients provide unique probes of black-hole accretion, compact objects, stellar explosions and the early Universe, while electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave and neutrino events offer new opportunities for understanding the most energetic cosmic phenomena. The Einstein Probe (EP) is a Chinese space mission designed to explore this largely uncharted transient X-ray sky with unprecedented sensitivity and monitoring cadence. Its Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) employs novel lobster-eye micro-pore optics to provide a field of view of approximately 3600 square degrees in the 0.5–4 keV band, with a sensitivity more than an order of magnitude better than previous wide-field X-ray monitors. A complementary Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), operating over 0.3–10 keV, enables rapid characterization and accurate localization of newly discovered sources. EP is designed to discover and monitor a wide range of transient and variable phenomena, including tidal disruption events, gamma-ray bursts, supernova shock breakouts, magnetars, X-ray binaries and stellar flares, as well as electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational-wave events. Its combination of wide-field monitoring, high sensitivity and rapid follow-up opens a powerful new window on the variable X-ray Universe.