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The Insight -Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope ( Insight -HXMT) is a broadband X-ray and γ-ray (1-3000 keV) astronomy satellite. One of its three main telescopes is the High Energy X-ray telescope (HE). The main detector plane of HE comprises 18 NaI(Tl)/CsI(Na) phoswich detectors, where NaI(Tl) is used as the primary detector to measure ~ 20–250 keV photons incident from the field of view (FOV) defined by collimators, and CsI(Na) is used as the active shielding detector to NaI(Tl) by pulse shape discrimination. Additionally, CsI(Na) is used as an omnidirectional γ-ray monitor. The HE collimators have a diverse FOV, i.e. 1.1°×5.7° (15 units), 5.7°×5.7° (2 units), and blocked (1 unit). Therefore, the combined FOV of HE is approximately 5.7°×5.7°. Each HE detector has a diameter of 190 mm resulting in a total geometrical area of approximately 5100 cm 2 , and the energy resolution is ~15% at 60 keV. For each recorded X-ray event by HE, the timing accuracy is less than 10 μs and the dead-time is less than 10 μs. HE is used for observing spectra and temporal variability of X-ray sources in the 20–250 keV band either by pointing observations for known sources or scanning observations to unveil new sources. Additionally, HE is used for monitoring the γ-ray burst in 0.2-3 MeV band. This paper not only presents the design and performance of HE instruments but also reports results of the on-ground calibration experiments.

A black hole X-ray binary produces hard X-ray radiation from its corona and disk when the accreting matter heats up. During an outburst, the disk and corona co-evolves with each other. However, such an evolution is still unclear in both its geometry and dynamics. Here we report the unusual decrease of the reflection fraction in MAXI J1820+070, which is the ratio of the coronal intensity illuminating the disk to the coronal intensity reaching the observer, as the corona is observed to contrast during the decay phase. We postulate a jet-like corona model, in which the corona can be understood as a standing shock where the material flowing through. In this dynamical scenario, the decrease of the reflection fraction is a signature of the corona’s bulk velocity. Our findings suggest that as the corona is observed to get closer to the black hole, the coronal material might be outflowing faster. Evolution of accretion disk and corona during outbursts in black hole binary systems is still unclear. Here, the authors show spectral analysis of MAXI J1820+070 and propose a scenario of a dynamical corona to explain the evolution of the reflection fraction observed by Insight-HXMT.

The origin(s) and mechanism(s) of fast radio bursts (FRBs), which are short radio pulses from cosmological distances, have remained a major puzzle since their discovery. We report a strong quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) of ∼40 Hz in the X-ray burst from the magnetar SGR J1935+2154 and associated with FRB 200428, significantly detected with the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) and also hinted at by the Konus–Wind data. QPOs from magnetar bursts have only been rarely detected; our 3.4σ (p-value is 2.9e–4) detection of the QPO reported here reveals the strongest QPO signal observed from magnetars (except in some very rare giant flares), making this X-ray burst unique among magnetar bursts. The two X-ray spikes coinciding with the two FRB pulses are also among the peaks of the QPO. Our results suggest that at least some FRBs are related to strong oscillation processes of neutron stars. We also show that we may overestimate the significance of the QPO signal and underestimate the errors of QPO parameters if QPO exists only in a fraction of the time series of an X-ray burst that we use to calculate the Leahy-normalized periodogram.

The space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Object Monitor (SVOM) mission is dedicated to the detection, localization and broad-band study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and other high-energy transient phenomena. The gamma ray monitor (GRM) onboard is designed to observe GRBs up to 5 MeV. With this instrument, one of the key GRB parameters, E peak , can be easily measured in the hard X-ray band. It can achieve a detection rate of 100 GRBs per year which ensures the scientific output of SVOM.

The 100 m long X-ray test facility (100XF for clarity) in Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS has been playing an increasingly important role in the X-ray astronomy field in China. 100XF has been contributing to the missions under development, such as the Einstein Probe mission. The facility has also been providing support to R&D of focusing X-ray optics in China that will enable future X-ray telescopes to be realized, such as the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarization (eXTP) mission. A pnCCD-based camera has been employed at 100XF to rapidly measure the performance of the X-ray optics. In this work, we study the performance of the camera and its spectral and imaging applications at 100XF. The camera system can provide a high frame readout rate, with a low readout noise <3 e − . It is sensitive to X-ray photons in the 3–10 keV energy band with a high quantum efficiency exceeding 90%. Actually, the low threshold of detection energy range can reach down to 0.2 keV. The energy resolution can reach 145.2 eV for single events and 154.8 eV for all valid events (including single events and split events) at 6.4 keV. The camera also exhibits excellent imaging capability in both the full frame mode and the windowing mode, with a readout rate of up to 1000 Hz. Finally, a prototype of a focusing X-ray mirror shell of eXTP was smoothly measured with this camera. The obtained on-axis point-spread function and half-power diameter are consistent with expectations. It is proven that the camera can improve the capability of 100XF in characterizing the X-ray optics. This camera will be very useful for performing on-ground calibrations for future X-ray telescope missions.

The 100 m long X-ray test facility (100XF for clarity) in Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS has been playing an increasingly important role in the X-ray astronomy field in China. 100XF has been contributing to the missions under development, such as the Einstein Probe mission. The facility has also been providing support to R&D of focusing X-ray optics in China that will enable future X-ray telescopes to be realized, such as the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarization (eXTP) mission. A pnCCD-based camera has been employed at 100XF to rapidly measure the performance of the X-ray optics. In this work, we study the performance of the camera and its spectral and imaging applications at 100XF. The camera system can provide a high frame readout rate, with a low readout noise <3 e⁻. It is sensitive to X-ray photons in the 3–10 keV energy band with a high quantum efficiency exceeding 90%. Actually, the low threshold of detection energy range can reach down to 0.2 keV. The energy resolution can reach 145.2 eV for single events and 154.8 eV for all valid events (including single events and split events) at 6.4 keV. The camera also exhibits excellent imaging capability in both the full frame mode and the windowing mode, with a readout rate of up to 1000 Hz. Finally, a prototype of a focusing X-ray mirror shell of eXTP was smoothly measured with this camera. The obtained on-axis point-spread function and half-power diameter are consistent with expectations. It is proven that the camera can improve the capability of 100XF in characterizing the X-ray optics. This camera will be very useful for performing on-ground calibrations for future X-ray telescope missions.

Here we report the spectral-timing results of the black hole X-ray binary 4U 1630–47 during its 2021 outburst using observations from the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT). Type C quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in ∼1.6–4.2 Hz and quasi-regular modulation (QRM) near 60 mHz are detected during the outburst. The mHz QRM has a fractional rms of ∼10%–16% in the 8–35 keV energy band with a Q factor (frequency/width) of ∼2–4. Benefiting from the broad energy band of Insight-HXMT, we study the energy dependence of the ∼60 mHz QRM in 1–100 keV for the first time. We find that the fractional rms of the mHz QRM increases with photon energy, while the time lags of the mHz QRM are soft and decrease with photon energy. Fast recurrence of the mHz QRM, in a timescale of less than 1 hr, has been observed during the outburst. During this period, the corresponding energy spectra moderately change when the source transitions from the QRM state to the non-QRM state. The QRM phenomenon also shows a dependence with the accretion rate. We suggest that the QRM could be caused by an unknown accretion instability aroused from the corona.

The work uses the data in the TTS mode of BATSE to analyze the time lags and pulse widths of GRB960113 and GRB960722 in high as well as low energy bands. The results show that their time lags increase monotonously. This phenomenon can reasonably be interpreted with the model of internal shock waves of γ-ray bursts (GRB). Perhaps we obtain the direct observational evidence for the fireball model of GRBs for the first time.

POLAR is a compact polarimeter dedicated to measuring the polarization of GRBs between 50–350 keV. The light collection of 200 mm×6 mm×6 mm plastic bars has been simulated and optimized in order to get uniform response to X-rays at different points along one single bar. According to the Monte Carlo results, the amplitude uniformity strongly depends on the level of polishing of the scintillator surface and the covering. A uniformity of 89% is achieved with a prototype constructed by a non position-sensitive PMT and an array of 4×4 bars.