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We present results from the Hitomi X-ray observation of a young composite-type supernova remnant (SNR) G21.5−0.9, whose emission is dominated by the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) contribution. The X-ray spectra in the 0.8–80 keV range obtained with the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS), Soft X-ray Imager, and Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) show a significant break in the continuum as previously found with the NuSTAR observation. After taking into account all known emissions from the SNR other than the PWN itself, we find that the Hitomi spectra can be fitted with a broken power law with photon indices of Γ1 = 1.74 ± 0.02 and Γ2 = 2.14 ± 0.01 below and above the break at 7.1 ± 0.3 keV, which is significantly lower than the NuSTAR result (∼9.0 keV). The spectral break cannot be reproduced by time-dependent particle injection one-zone spectral energy distribution models, which strongly indicates that a more complex emission model is needed, as suggested by recent theoretical models. We also search for narrow emission or absorption lines with the SXS, and perform a timing analysis of PSR J1833−1034 with the HXI and the Soft Gamma-ray Detector. No significant pulsation is found from the pulsar. However, unexpectedly, narrow absorption line features are detected in the SXS data at 4.2345 keV and 9.296 keV with a significance of 3.65 σ. While the origin of these features is not understood, their mere detection opens up a new field of research and was only possible with the high resolution, sensitivity, and ability to measure extended sources provided by an X-ray microcalorimeter.

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Constellation-X is a cluster of identical observatories that together constitute a promising concept for a next-generation, highthroughput, high-resolution, astrophysical x-ray spectroscopy mission. The heart ofthe Constellation-X mission concept is a high-quantum-efficiency imaging spectrometer with 2 eV resolution at 6 keV. Collectively across the cluster, this imaging spectrometer will have twenty times the collecting efficiency of XRS on Astro-E and better than 0.25 arc minute imaging resolution. The spectrometer on each satellite will be able to handle count rates ofup to 1000 counts per second per imaging pixel for a point source and 30 counts per second per pixel for an extended source filling the array. Focal plane coverage of at least 2.5 arc minutes x 2.5 arc minutes, comparable to XRS but with a factor of thirty more pixels, is required. This paper will present the technologies that have the potential to meet all these requirements. It will identify the ones chosen for development for Constellation-X and explain why those were considered closer to realization, and it will summarize the results ofthe development work thus far.

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