AGILE: a Gamma-Ray Mission for a Light Imaging Detector

AGILE is an innovative, cost-effective gamma-ray mission proposed to the ASI Program of Small Scientific Missions. It is planned to detect gamma-rays in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV energy band and operate as an backslashbf Observatory open to the international community. Primary scientific goals include the study of AGNs, gamma-ray bursts, Galactic sources, unidentified gamma-ray sources, solar flares, and diffuse gamma-ray emission. AGILE is planned to be operational during the year 2001 for a 3-year mission. It will ideally `fill the gap between EGRET and GLAST, and support ground-based multiwavelength studies of high-energy sources.