Séminaires LLR

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)

par Carmelo Sgro (INFN Pisa)

Europe/Paris
Salle de conférence 05-2021 (LLR)

Salle de conférence 05-2021

LLR

Description

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is the next SMall EXplorer (SMEX) mission selected by NASA for a launch in 2021.
IXPE will expand the X-ray view of the Universe by adding polarization to the properties (time, energy, and position) observed in x-ray astronomy.
The observatory operates in the 2-8 keV energy band and includes three identical x-ray telescopes, each comprising a 4 m focal-length (grazing-incidence) mirror module assembly (MMA) and a polarization-sensitive gas pixel detector (GPD).
The observation plan includes a few tens of sources of various types to be studied during the nominal lifetime of 2 year.
In this seminar we will discuss the scientific prospects of the mission, the development of the polarization-sensitive focal plane detectors, and the status of the program.