For Astronomers

For Astronomers

UVEX will provide a generational improvement upon previous ultraviolet capabilities. On this page, we provide some preliminary information about the expected UVEX bandpass and sensitivity. Please note that this mission is still in Phase B, and that this information reflects the current design but may not represent the final expected performance.

UVEX bandpass

UVEX imaging and spectrograph bandpass — The UVEX NUV and FUV imaging bands have been chosen to approximately match the GALEX imaging bands. The long-slit spectrograph (LSS) provides R>2000 resolution across the entire bandpass, which is optimized for wind features in hot stars and nebular emission lines from low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies.

UVEX sensitivity

UVEX Limiting Magnitude — The UVEX 5-sigma limiting magnitude for NUV and FUV for a typical sky background outside of the Galactic Plane, compared with the GALEX All-Sky Imaging Survey depth. The UVEX all-sky survey will be built up from repeated visits to fields over the course of the two-year prime mission.