The Lynx X-Ray Observatory will radically change the way we see the universe by answering some of the most persistent questions of our time: How and when did the first supermassive black holes form, and how do they co-evolve with their host galaxies? What processes drive the formation and evolution of the largest structures in the universe? What high-energy processes play critical roles in the birth and death of stars, and how do they influence planet habitability?

The ability to answer these questions is made possible through the Lynx payload design. Currently in concept phase, Lynx is designed to have leaps in capability over NASA's existing flagship Chandra and the European Space Agency's (ESA) planned Athena mission. More specifically, Lynx will have a 50-fold increase in sensitivity via the coupling of superb angular resolution with high throughput, 16× larger field of view with arcsecond or better imaging, and 10 to 20 times higher spectral resolution for both point-like and extended sources. The primary purpose of this special section is to present details of the Lynx observatory and expected on-orbit performance. Related topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• instrument and x-ray optics descriptions (system and subsystems)
• structural, thermal, and optical performance
• in-flight performance predictions and modeling
• data analysis algorithms
• instrument-related software systems
• spacecraft systems critical to in-flight performance
• systems engineering practices
• applied lessons learned from previous missions
• planning for the 2030s.  
  
  

This special section focuses on technical aspects of the Lynx mission and instrumentation. Purely science discussions are to be published elsewhere.  All submissions will be peer reviewed. Peer review will commence immediately upon manuscript submission, with a goal of making a first decision within 6 weeks of manuscript submission. Special sections are opened online once a minimum of four papers have been accepted. Each paper is published as soon as the copyedited and typeset proofs are approved by the author. Submissions should follow the guidelines of JATIS. Manuscripts should be submitted online at http://JATIS.msubmit.net. A cover letter indicating that the submission is intended for this special section should be included.