Why is IXO the right mission to be the next major observatory after JWST?
Many pressing science questions that require observations of the hot Universe can only be made with X-ray telescopes. These include the origin and evolution of black holes, the cause of the accelerating Universe, the formation of large scale structure, the equation of state of neutron stars. All these and many other topical questions require an X-ray telescope with an order of magnitude better than any previous X-ray telescopes. The technology development over the past decade combined with the detailed mission studies means that the IXO mission can be ready for launch around 2021. It will join the other major observatories that cover other wavebands such as JWST, HST, Fermi and ALMA to bring a multi-wavelength solution to the many puzzles and problems confronting modern astrophysics.
