MAXI Team

In collaboration with JAXA, Tokyo Tech, Aoyama Gakuin University, Nihon University, Osaka University and a few other institutions, we are conducting observational investigations in high energy astrophysics using the MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) experiment. It was launched by the Space Shuttle in July 2009, and mounted on the Exposed Facility of the Japan Experimental Module "Kibo" comprising the International Space Station. MAXI has already detected a large number of variation phenomena in cosmic X-ray sources, including black hole binaries, X-ray pulsars, weakly-magnetized neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts, flaring stars, and active galactic nuclei. We have issued prompt worldwide alerts of these detections, and publicly released the MAXI data. In the year of 2012, which was the 50-year anniversary of the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources, MAXI has made a number of new discoveries, particularly on mass-accreting neutron stars, white dwarfs, and supernova remnants.

Research Fields

Physics / Space Science

Research Subjects

• Operation and data release of the MAXI mission onboard the International Space Station
• Studies of time variations of cosmic X-ray sources and all-sky monitoring for X-ray transients
• Planning and R&D of WF-MAXI as a successor to MAXI

Publications

1. Kimura, M., Tsunemi, H., Tomida, H., Sugizaki, M., Ueno, S., Hanayama, T., Yoshidome, K., and Sasaki, M.:
   "Is the Cygnus Superbubble a Hypernova Remnant?"
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 65, in press (2013).
2. Sugizaki, M., Yamaoka, K., Matsuoka, M., Kennea, J. A., Mihara, T. et al.:
   "Spectral Evolution of a New X-ray Transient MAXI J0556-332 Observed by MAXI, Swift, and RXTE",
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 65, in press (2013).
3. Serino, M., Mihara, T., Matsuoka, M., Nakahira, S., Sugizaki, M., Ueda, Y., Kawai, N., and Ueno, S.:
   "Superburst with Outburst from EXO 1745-248 in Terzan 5 with MAXI",
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 64, Article 91 (2012).
4. Nakahira, S., Koyama, S., Ueda, Y., Yamaoka, K., Sugizaki, M., Mihara, T., Matsuoka, M., Yoshida, A., Makishima, K., Ebisawa, K. et al.:
   "A Spectral Study of the Black Hole Candidate XTE J1752-223 in the High/Soft State with MAXI, Suzaku, and Swift"
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 64, Article 13 (2012).
5. Burrows, D. N., Kennea, J. A., Ghisellini, G., Mangano, V., Zhang, B., Page, K. L., Eracleous, M., et al.:
   "Relativistic Jet Activity from the Tidal Disruption of a Star by a Massive Black Hole"
   Nature 476, 462 (2011).
6. Serino, M., Yoshida, A., Kawai, N., Nakagawa, Y., Mihara, T., Ueda, Y., Nakahira, S., Eguchi, S., et al.:
   "Peculiarly Narrow SED of GRB 090926B with MAXI and Fermi/GBM"
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 63S, 1035 (2011)
7. Yamamoto, T., Sugizaki, M., Mihara, T., Nakajima, M., Yamaoka, K., Matsuoka, M, Morii, M., and Makishima, K.:
   "Discovery of a Cyclotron Resonance Feature in the X-ray Spectrum of GX 304-1 with RXTE and Suzaku during Outbursts Detected by MAXI in 2010"
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 63S, 751 (2011)
8. Sugizaki, M., Mihara, T., Serino, M., Yamamoto, T., Matsuoka, M., Kohama, M., Tomida, H., Ueno, S. et al.:
   "In-Orbit Performance of MAXI Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on ISS"
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 63S, 635 (2011)
9. Mihara, T., Nakajima, M., Sugizaki, M., Serino, M., Matsuoka, M., Kohama, M., Kawasaki, K. et al.:
   "Gas Slit Camera (GSC) onboard MAXI on ISS",
   Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 63S, 623 (2011)
10. Matsuoka, M., Kawasaki, K., Ueno, S., Tomida, H., Kohama, M., Suzuki, M., Adachi, Y., Ishikawa, M., Mihara, T., Sugizaki, M. et al.:
    "The MAXI Mission on the ISS: Science and Instruments for Monitoring All-Sky X-Ray Images."
    Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 61, 999 (2009)