The fluctuating brightness of cosmic X-ray sources, particularly accreting black holes and neutron star systems,
has enabled enormous progress in understanding the physics of turbulent accretion flows, the behaviour of matter
on the surfaces of neutron stars and improving the evidence for black holes. Most of this progress has been made
by analysing and modelling time series data in terms of their power and cross spectra, as will be discussed in
other articles in this volume. Recently, attempts have been made to make use of other aspects of the data, by
testing for non-linearity, non-Gaussianity, time asymmetry and by examination of higher order Fourier spectra.
These projects, which have been made possible by the vast increase in data quality and quantity over the past
decade, are the subject of this article.
We describe the design of Lobster-ISS, an X-ray imaging all-sky monitor (ASM) to be flown as an attached payload on the International Space Station. Lobster-ISS is the subject of an ESA Phase-A study which will begin in December 2001. With an instantaneous field of view 162 x 22.5 degrees, Lobster-ISS will map almost the complete sky every 90 minute ISS orbit, generating a confusion-limited catalogue of ~250,000 sources every 2 months. Lobster-ISS will use focusing microchannel plate optics and imaging gas proportional micro-well detectors; work is currently underway to improve the MCP optics and to develop proportional counter windows with enhanced transmission and negligible rates of gas leakage, thus improving instrument throughput and reducing mass. Lobster-ISS provides an order of magnitude improvement in the sensitivity of X-ray ASMs, and will, for the first time, provide continuous monitoring of the sky in the soft X-ray region (0.1-3.5 keV). Lobster-ISS provides long term monitoring of all classes of variable X-ray source, and an essential alert facility, with rapid detection of transient X-ray sources such as Gamma-Ray Burst afterglows being relayed to contemporary pointed X-ray observatories. The mission, with a nominal lifetime of 3 years, is scheduled for launch on the Shuttle c.2009.
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