Related papers: Probing magnetars magnetosphere through X-ray pola…
The polarization state of starlight reflected by a planetary atmosphere uniquely reveals coverage, particle size, and composition of aerosols as well as changing cloud patterns. It is not possible to obtain a comparable level of detailed…
We review the state of the art for measuring the X-ray polarization of neutron stars. We discuss how valuable precision measurements of the degree and position angle of polarization as a function of energy and, where relevant, of pulse…
This white paper highlights compact object and fundamental physics science opportunities afforded by high-throughput broadband (0.1-60 keV) X-ray polarization observations. X-ray polarimetry gives new observables with geometric information…
X-ray polarimetry has the potential to make key-contributions to our understanding of galactic compact objects like binary black hole systems and neutron stars, and extragalactic objects like active galactic nuclei, blazars, and Gamma Ray…
In astronomy there are basically four kinds of observations to extract the information carried by electromagnetic radiation: photometry, imaging, spectroscopy and polarimetry. By optimal exploitation of the first three techniques, X-ray…
X-ray polarimetry is a fine tool to probe the accretion geometry and physical processes operating in the proximity of compact objects, black holes and neutron stars. Recent discoveries made by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer put our…
Soft X-ray emission from neutron stars affords powerful diagnostic tools for uncovering their surface and interior properties, as well as their geometric configurations. In the atmospheres of neutron stars, the presence of magnetic fields…
Observational astrophysics started when spectroscopy could be applied to astronomy. Similarly, observational work on stellar magnetic fields became possible with the application of spectro-polarimetry. In recent decades there have been…
The polarisation of x-ray photons can be determined by measuring the direction of emission of a K-shell photoelectron. Effective exploitation of this effect below 10 keV would allow development of a highly sensitive x-ray polarimeter…
We present the first imaging circular polarimetry of the anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP) 4U 0142+61 at optical wavelengths. The AXP is the only magnetar that has been well studied at optical and infrared wavelengths and is known to have a…
Some massive stars possess strong magnetic fields that confine plasma in the circumstellar environment. These \textit{magnetospheres} have been studied spectroscopically, photometrically and, more recently, interferometrically. Here we…
We present a method for parametric modelling of the physical components of the Galaxy's magnetised interstellar medium, simulating the observables, and mapping out the likelihood space using a Markov Chain Monte-Carlo analysis. We then…
We discuss the experimental techniques used to date for measuring the changes in polarization state of a laser produced by a strong transverse magnetic field acting in a vacuum. We point out the likely artifacts that can arise in such…
X-ray polarisation measurement is a unique tool which may provide crucial information regarding the emission mechanism and the geometry of various astrophysical sources, like neutron stars, accreting black holes, pulsar wind nebulae, AGNs,…
The recent observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsars 4U 0142+61 and 1RXS J170849.0-400910 by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) opened up a new avenue to study magnetars, neutron stars endowed with superstrong magnetic fields…
Magnetic fields have important or dominant effects in many areas of astrophysics, but have been very difficult to quantify. Spectropolarimetry from Ground State Alignment (GSA) has been suggested as a direct tracer of magnetic field in…
Some X-ray binaries containing an energetic pulsar in orbit around a normal star accelerate particles to high energies in the shock cone formed where the pulsar and stellar winds collide. The magnetic field geometry in the acceleration…
X-ray polarimetry is now providing a new way to look at the high energy sky. The addition of two observables, polarization fraction and angle, reveals crucial new information on the structure of accretion flows and magnetic fields in…
Was the Milky Way galaxy a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the past? Can we find traces of remnant structures supporting this idea? What is the three-dimensional arrangement of matter around our central supermassive black…
We present a theory for the estimation of a scalar or a vector magnetic field by its influence on an ensemble of trapped spin polarized atoms. The atoms interact off-resonantly with a continuous laser field, and the measurement of the…