INFN Sezione di Roma 2
	Universita'  di Roma Tor Vergata"

 

The AGILE satellite was proposed by a INFN and CNR collaboration  in June 1997 to the Program for Small Scientific Missions of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). AGILE (Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero) is a mission devoted to gamma-ray (30MeV-50GeV) astrophysics during the years 2005-2007. It is  very small in dimension and weight but has the unique possibility to observe gamma ray source with a great field of view (~ 1/5/ of the sky ). It is ideal for the monitoring of gamma ray source like AGN and unidentified galactic sources, for the discoveries of gamma ray transient and Gamma Ray Bursts, for the study of the diffuse galactic emission and the identification of gamma ray pulsars.
After the initial ASI selection in December 1997, a Phase A study was carried out during 1998. AGILE was finally selected by ASI in June 1999 as the first Small Scientific Mission. AGILE was successfully launched on April 23, 2007 from the Indian base of Sriharikota and was inserted in an optimal low-particle background equatorial orbit.  The AGILE Cycle-1 pointing program started on 2007 December 1, and is open to the international community through a Guest Observer Program.

Main characteristics:

• Energy Range :                 20 MeV - 30 GeV   and 10-40 KeV
• Weight:                          ~130 Kg
• Field of view:                 1/5 of the sky
• Point source Sensitivity:   @ 0.1 GeV              6x10^-9
(ph cm^-2 s^-1  MeV^-1)*         @   1 GeV              4x10 ^-11
                                         @ 10 GeV               3x10^-12

*(obtained with a typical exposure time of 2 weeks for sources outside the galactic plane) 

• Active Galactic Nuclei
• Gamma Ray Bursts
• Pulsar and Galactic Sources
• Galactic and Extragalactic Diffuse Emission
• Solar Gamma Flares
• Gamma ray transient
• unidentified galactic and extragalactic sources
• New Fenomena ?

(adapted from Surveys in High Energy Physics, vol.16, 255-244, 2002). All sensitivities are at 5s. The predicted sensitivity of a number of operational and proposed Ground based Cherenkov telescopes,  CELESTE, STACEE, VERITAS, Whipple is for a 50 hour exposure on a single source. EGRET, MILAGRO,  GLAST and AGILE  sensitivity is shown for one year of all sky survey. MAGIC sensitivity based on the availability of high efficiency PMT’s . Note that on ground only MILAGRO and ARGO will observe more than one source simultaneously

This is the Energy range covered by the different experiments versus the activity period. Note that AGILE will covered an interval were no other experiments will be present.
 
  

  "A Wide aperture telescope for high energy gamma detection", Nuclear Physics B 43, (1995), 253 (PDF)

  "The GILDA mission: a new technique for a gamma-ray telescope in the energy range 20 MeV - 100 GeV", Nuclear Instruments and Methods , A354, 547, (1995)  (PDF)

LINKS

 AGILE at ASI ASDC
 AGILE IASF Roma  
 AGILE at INFN Trieste 

 AGILE will be an ideal `bridge' between EGRET and GLAST. To have more information on GLAST :

 Link to GLAST Experiment (Roma2)       Link to Glast Experiment(SLAC)

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