Spectroscopic analysis of solar and cosmic X-ray spectra. 1: The nature of cosmic X-ray spectra and proposed analytical techniques

Techniques for the study of the solar corona are reviewed as an introduction to a discussion of modifications required for the study of cosmic sources. Spectroscopic analysis of individual sources and the interstellar medium is considered. The latter was studied via analysis of its effect on the spectra of selected individual sources. The effects of various characteristics of the ISM, including the presence of grains, molecules, and ionization, are first discussed, and the development of ISM models is described. The expected spectral structure of individual cosmic sources is then reviewed with emphasis on supernovae remnants and binary X-ray sources. The observational and analytical requirements imposed by the characteristics of these sources are identified, and prospects for the analysis of abundances and the study of physical parameters within them are assessed. Prospects for the spectroscopic study of other classes of X-ray sources are also discussed.