MAXI Team

Team Leader

Kazuo Makishima

  • D.Sci.
  • Kazuo Makishima
  • Brief resume
    1978
    Research Associate, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
    1986
    D.Sci., University of Tokyo
    1986
    Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo
    1995
    Professor, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo (-current)
    2001
    Chief Scientist, Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, RIKEN
    2010
    Group Director, Coordinated Space Observation and Experiment Research Group, RIKEN (-current)

Outline

MAXI Team

In collaboration with JAXA, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Aoyama Gakuin University, Nihon University, Kyoto University, Chuo University, Miyazaki University and a few other institutions, we operate the MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) experiment aboard the International Space Station, and promote worldwide release of the MAXI data. Proposed in 1997 by RIKEN, MAXI was transported by the Space Shuttle in July 2009 to the Exposed Facility of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station. Performing all-sky scans of X-ray sources, MAXI produces X-ray all-sky images as shown in the figure, watches for the emergence of X-ray novae, and studies variations of catalogued X-ray objects. It has achieved rich results, covering stellar flares in the vicinity of the sun, black-hole binaries and neutron-star binaries in our galaxy, distant active galactic nuclei, and gamma-ray bursts at cosmological distances.

Recent Research Topic

An all-sky X-ray image, obtained with MAXI in its first 2.5 months of operation
Fig. 1: An all-sky X-ray image, obtained with MAXI in its first 2.5 months of operation
The map is centered at the center of our Galaxy, while the horizontal axis corresponds to the Milky Way.

Selected Publications

  1. D. N. Burrows, et al. Relativistic jet activity from the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole, Nature 2011, 476, 421.
  2. T. Mihara, et al. Gas Slit Camera (GSC) onboard MAXI on ISS, Publ. Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2011, 63, in press.
  3. T. Yamamoto, et al. Discovery of a Cyclotron Resonance Feature in the X-ray Spectrum of GX 304-1 with RXTE and Suzaku during Outbursts Detected by MAXI in 2010, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2011, 63, in press.
  4. M. Sugizaki, et al. In-Orbit Performance of MAXI Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on ISS, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2011, 63, 635.
  5. N. Isobe, et al. Bright X-Ray Flares from the BL Lac Object Markarian 421, Detected with MAXI in 2010 January and February, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2010, 62, L55.
  6. H. Tsunemi, et al. In-Orbit Performance of the MAXI/SSC onboard the ISS, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2010, 62, 1371.
  7. S. Nakahira, et al. MAXI GSC Observations of a Spectral State Transition in the Black Hole Candidate XTE J1752-223, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2010, 62, L27.
  8. M. Matsuoka, et al. The MAXI Mission on the ISS: Science and Instruments for Monitoring All-Sky X-Ray Images, Astron. Soc. Jpn. 2009, 61, 999.

Core Members

Principal Investigator add delete
Kazuo Makishima Team Leader (Group Director, Coordinated Space Observation and Experiment Research Group)    
Staff Scientist add delete
Tatehiro Mihara Senior Research Scientist    
Mutsumi Sugizaki ASI Research Scientist    
Motoko Serino ASI Research Scientist    
Postdoctoral Fellow add delete
Satoshi Nakahira Postdoctoral Researcher    
Student Trainee add delete
Takayuki Yamamoto Junior Research Associate    
Technical Assistant add delete
Administrative Assistant add delete
Visiting Research Staff add delete
Other Staff add delete

( ) indicates primary affiliation in RIKEN.

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