A user meet for X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), India’s polarimetry mission aimed at studying various dynamics of astronomical sources in extreme conditions is scheduled to be held on Thursday. The meet will be streamed live from the ISRO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ISRO and ISRO website https://www.isro.gov.in.
XPoSat will carry two scientific payloads, Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (SPECT) in a low Earth orbit.
POLIX payload will enable the measurement of polarimetry parameters such as the degree and angle of polarization in the medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons originating from astronomical sources.
SPECT payload will provide valuable timing and spectroscopic information within the energy range of 0.8-15 keV of X-ray photons.
“Astronomical sources, including black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, and pulsar wind nebulae, present complex emission mechanisms that challenge the current understanding. Polarimetry measurements offer an excellent diagnostic tool for comprehending the emission processes from various astronomical sources,” ISRO said.
The space agency added that by combining polarimetric observations with spectroscopic and timing measurements, researchers anticipate overcoming the limitations of present understanding of astronomical emission processes.
ISRO said that the XPoSat User Meet aims to gather experts, including key astronomers and researchers from the country, to engage in discussions and plan scientific investigations and to foster collaborations to be enabled by this unique mission.
