The science programme will cover a broad range of topics in high-energy astrophysics, including galaxy groups and clusters, supermassive black holes, compact objects, transient phenomena, multi-messenger astrophysics, and the interplay between high-energy observations and other major astronomical facilities.
In particular, it will address the main scientific questions of the NewAthena mission:
How do the largest cosmic structures form and evolve?
How is the Universe enriched with metals?
How do black holes grow and how do they impact the galaxy evolution?
What physical conditions shape the BH and NS environment?
What physical phenomena are associated with multi-messenger events?
How do high-energy phenomena shape stellar evolution and their environs?
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Galaxy Clusters and Large-Scale Structure
Formation and evolution of galaxy groups, clusters, and large-scale structures, including the cosmic web, circumgalactic medium, and intracluster medium.
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Chemical Enrichment and Galaxy Evolution
Chemical enrichment of the Universe, galaxy formation and evolution, metal production and distribution, and the baryon cycle.
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Supermassive Black Hole Growth and AGN populations
Formation and growth of supermassive black holes, AGN populations, cosmic evolution of accretion activity.
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Black Hole Accretion and Outflows
Accretion physics around black holes across mass scales, including accretion disks, coronae, relativistic effects, jets, and winds.
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Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs
Physics of neutron stars, pulsars, magnetars, and X-ray binaries, including accretion, magnetic fields, compact object evolution, and extreme matter.
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Stars and Stellar Feedback
High-energy processes in stellar evolution and environments, including stellar activity, winds, supernova remnants, and star–planet interactions.
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Stellar Populations and Star-Forming Galaxies
High-energy emission from star-forming galaxies and stellar populations, including X-ray binaries, hot interstellar gas, metallicity effects, and stellar feedback across cosmic time.
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Transients and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics
High-energy transients, tidal disruption events, gamma-ray bursts, compact object mergers, and their multi-messenger signatures.
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NewAthena Instrumentation, Methods and Laboratory Astrophysics
X-ray instrumentation and detector technologies, calibration, laboratory astrophysics, simulations, and new observational and data analysis methods.
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NewAthena Mission and Science Programme
Overview of the NewAthena mission, its scientific objectives, mission development, ESA and international contributions, and future perspectives.
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Others