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Frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) is the baseline readout system for the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on board the Athena mission. Under the FDM scheme, TESs are coupled to a passive LC filter and biased with alternating current (AC…
The accretion-powered X-ray pulsar GX 301-2 was observed with the balloon-borne X-Calibur hard X-ray polarimeter during late December 2018, with contiguous observations by the NICER X-ray telescope, the Swift X-ray Telescope and Burst Alert…
IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) is a NASA Small Explorer mission -- in partnership with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) -- dedicated to X-ray polarimetry in the 2--8 keV energy band. The IXPE telescope comprises three grazing…
Cherenkov threshold detectors (XCET) are used for identifying particles in the experimental areas at CERN. These detectors observe Cherenkov light emitted by charged particles travelling inside a pressurized gas vessel. A key component of…
We report on gamma-ray orbital modulation of the transitioning millisecond pulsar binary XSS J12270-4859 detected in the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data. We use long-term optical data taken with the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor and the…
The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) sounding rocket payload flew for the second time on 2014 December 11. To enable direct Hard X-Ray (HXR) imaging spectroscopy, FOXSI makes use of grazing-incidence replicated focusing optics…
Imaging in hard X-rays of any astrophysical source with high angular resolution is a challenging job. Shadow-casting technique is one of the most viable options for imaging in hard X-rays. We have used two different types of shadow-casters,…
Phase-resolved spectral and spectropolarimetric X-ray observations of magnetars present us with the opportunity to test models of the origin of the X-ray emission from these objects, and to constrain the properties of the neutron star…
LiteBIRD is a JAXA-led strategic large-class satellite mission designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and Galactic foregrounds from 34 to 448 GHz across the entire sky from L2 in the late 2020s. The…
In this document, we describe the scientific potential of blazar observations with a X-ray polarimetry mission like GEMS (Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX). We describe five blazar science investigations that such a mission would enable:…
The Gas Pixel Detector belongs to the very limited class of gas detectors optimized for the measurement of X-ray polarization in the emission of astrophysical sources. The choice of the mixture in which X-ray photons are absorbed and…
An upgraded and improved version of the focal plane detector (FPD) of the large-acceptance magnetic spectrometer MAGNEX is described here. The FPD consists of a tracker operating at low pressure and of a silicon detector wall. Thanks to a…
The XEUS mission incorporates two satellites: the Mirror Spacecraft with 5 m2 of collecting area at 1 keV and 2 m2 at 7 keV, and an imaging resolution of 5" HEW and the Payload Spacecraft which carries the focal plane instrumentation. XEUS…
Despite over 50 years of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) observations many open questions remain about their nature and the environments in which the emission takes place. Polarization measurements of the GRB prompt emission have long been theorized…
We report the first results from an X-ray polarimeter with a micropattern gas proportional counter using an amorphous silicon active matrix readout. With 100% polarized X-rays at 4.5 keV, we obtain a modulation factor of 0.33 +/- 0.03,…
We present the first optical polarimetric study of the two transitional pulsars PSR J1023+0038 and XSS J12270-4859. This work is focused on the search for intrinsical linear polarisation (LP) in the optical emission from the two systems. We…
The gas pixel detector (GPD) is designed and developed for high-sensitivity astronomical X-ray polarimetry, which is a new window about to open in a few years. Due to the small mass, low power, and compact geometry of the GPD, we propose a…
POLAR is a novel compact Compton X-ray polarimeter designed to measure the linear polarization of the prompt emission of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) and other strong transient sources such as soft gamma repeaters and solar flares in the energy…
The Beam Instrumentation group at CERN has developed a new scintillating fibre beam monitor for the measurement of secondary particle beams in the CERN Experimental Areas. The monitor has a simple design that stands out for its low material…
The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission XMM-Newton is ESA's largest observatory so far; it is dedicated to explore the Universe in the 0.2 - 15 keV X-ray band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because of its large collecting area very faint sources…