The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)
Author(s)
Weisskopf, Martin C.
Ramsey, Brian
O'Dell, Stephen
Tennant, Allyn
Elsner, Ronald
Soffitta, Paolo
Bellazzini, Ronaldo
Costa, Enrico
Kolodziejczak, Jeffrey
Kaspi, Victoria
Date Issued
July 2016
Journal
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Publisher
SPIE
Citation
Weisskopf, Martin C. et al. “The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).” Edited by Jan-Willem A. den Herder, Tadayuki Takahashi, and Marshall Bautz. Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, July 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, SPIE, July 2016 © 2016 SPIE
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) expands observation space by simultaneously adding polarization measurements to the array of source properties currently measured (energy, time, and location). IXPE will thus open new dimensions for understanding how X-ray emission is produced in astrophysical objects, especially systems under extreme physical conditions - such as neutron stars and black holes. Polarization singularly probes physical anisotropies - ordered magnetic fields, aspheric matter distributions, or general relativistic coupling to black-hole spin - that are not otherwise measurable. Hence, IXPE complements all other investigations in high-energy astrophysics by adding important and relatively unexplored information to the parameter space for studying cosmic X-ray sources and processes, as well as for using extreme astrophysical environments as laboratories for fundamental physics. Keywords: X-ray astronomy, X-ray polarimetry, X-ray imaging
MIT Department
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2235240
