The international joint discussion on the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) for the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) mission and the Spectrometer Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) for the Solar Orbiter (SO) mission was held in Nanjing at the new campus of Purple Mountain Observatory from 2017 November 21 to 24. Professor Sam Krucker (PI of RHESSI and STIX/SO), Dr. Gordon Hurford (chief designer of STIX imaging system), Dr. Stefan Koegl (STIX project manager), and about 50 Chinese participants attended the discussion.  

HXI is one of the payloads for ASO-S, which aims to observe the spatial configuration, energy spectral property and temporal evolution of non-thermal energy release during solar flares. STIX is one of the payload for SO, which has been delivered and is now waiting for launch. This joint discussion provides the HXI team a good opportunity for communication and consultation because of the same principle that HXI and STIX adopted. The discussion has been divided into seven specific topics, including grids, collimator, solar aspect system, detector and front-end electronic, data analysis and software, coordinated HXI and STIX observation and other issues. This joint discussion has enhanced the bilateral collaboration.   

This joint discussion is the second international conference of ASO-S mission, and the first one was held in 2017 May in Beijing to discuss the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST) related issues. Such meetings will certainly benefit the Phase-B study of ASO-S mission. 

(Information Sources: Purple Mountain Observatory)