A new approach to study the 511 keV emission from positron annihilation in the Galaxy

Dr. Manel Errando, Washington University in St. Louis

Emission from electron-positron annihilation at 511 keV was the first extrasolar gamma-ray line ever detected. Despite more than 30 years of theoretical and observational progress, the origin of the positron population has yet to be identified, with potential candidates ranging from microquasars and X-ray binaries to annihilation or decay of dark matter particles. I will discuss the main observational challenges of mapping the positron annihilation signal from our Galaxy and motivate why it is best studied with small satellites, introducing a new mission concept based on a CubeSAT spacecraft.

I will also present recent progress in the field of X-ray optics, discussing the fabrication of polymer-based actuators that address the need for adjustable mirror control in future high-resolution X-ray missions. I will describe the current status of the project as well as upcoming steps to produce full-scale prototypes that can enable future X-ray missions such as Lynx, currently under study in preparation for the 2020 NASA decadal survey.