The X and Gamma-Ray Imager and Spectrometer Onboard THESEUS—Status and Technological Progresses
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are intense bursts of high-energy photons which, in just a few seconds, outshine all other γ-ray emitters in the sky. Due to their extreme luminosity, GRBs are not only important as high-energy astrophysical phenomena but also serve as valuable probe models of the far, high-redshift Universe. The importance of these events has pushed the High-Energy Astrophysics community to propose new mission concepts over the past decade, prompting dedicated research and development efforts to achieve the required technological readiness levels. The X and Gamma-Ray Imager and Spectrometer (XGIS) is one of the two GRB monitors onboard the proposed, upcoming THESEUS space mission. Building on strong heritage from previous studies, ongoing developments and optimizations are focused on enhancing the instrument’s capabilities and increasing its technological maturity. This work presents the current status of the XGIS instrument and the latest technological advancements achieved in preparation for its deployment on THESEUS.
Authors
- Paolo Calabretto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1660-6766)
- F. Ficorella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0296-1193)
- L. Amati
- G. Baldazzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6657-1645)
- David Novel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4166-0676)
- Paolo Nogara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4426-3844)
- G. Pepponi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7397-1946)
- C. Labanti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5086-3619)
- Edoardo Borciani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4446-8373)
- Smiriti Srivastava (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1959-9121)
- Ajay Sharma
- Ezequiel Marchesini
- Riccardo Campana
- Giuseppe Sottile
- Giulia Mattioli
- Evgeny Demenev
- Enrico Virgilli
- Giovanni La La Rosa
Institutions
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler (IT)
- Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna (IT)
- Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica cosmica di Palermo (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna (IT)
- National Institute for Astrophysics (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Particles
- Published
- 2026-01-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/particles9010003
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 23.83
Funders
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica