HERMES: The High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites 

Mercoledi 17 Aprile 2019, ore 11:00 Aula IB09 

Yuri EVANGELISTA – INAF/IAPS 

HERMES (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites)  is a mission concept based on a constellation of nano-satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), hosting new miniaturized detectors to probe the X-ray temporal emission of bright high-energy transients such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB). Transient localization is gained by comparing time delays among the same event detection epochs occurred on – at least – 3 detectors, spaced out on different satellites. HERMES X-ray transients monitoring represents the keystone capability to support the 2020 interferometers new generation which will search for events in a sky volume 100 times larger than in the GW170817 case. INAF, in collaboration with INFN, Politecnico di Milano, University of Pavia and University of Udine,  is developing the modular X/gamma-ray monitor to be placed on-board 3U CubeSat buses, with the main goal of providing fast localization of long and short GRBs in a Field of View of several steradians with an accuracy of from few degrees down to few arcminutes.