Related papers: X-ray Polarization at the Crossroads
A novel approach for measuring linear X-ray polarization over a broad-band using conventional imaging optics and cameras is described. A new type of high efficiency grating, called the critical angle transmission grating is used to disperse…
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observations of accreting X-ray pulsars (XRPs) continue to provide novel insights into the physics and geometry of these sources. We present the first X-ray polarimetric study of the persistent…
We present near-simultaneous X-ray and optical polarization measurements in the high synchrotron peaked (HSP) blazar Mrk 421. The X-ray polarimetric observations were carried out using {\it Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer} ({\it IXPE})…
We analyze the prospects of quantitatively detecting vacuum birefringence from magnetars using the IXPE and eXTP experiments. We adopt a realistic profile to model the magnetic field of magnetars, and use it to calculate the time delay and…
Population of levels of the hyperfine and fine split ground state of an atom is affected by radiative transitions induced by anisotropic radiation flux. Such aligned atoms precess in the external magnetic field and this affects properties…
The MIT X-ray Polarimetry Beamline is a facility that we developed for testing components for possible use in X-ray polarimetry. Over the past few years, we have demonstrated that the X-ray source can generate nearly 100% polarized X-rays…
We present the science case for a broadband X-ray imager with high-resolution spectroscopy, including simulations of X-ray spectral diagnostics of both active regions and solar flares. This is part of a trilogy of white papers discussing…
We report on Monte Carlo studies of the hard X-ray polarimeter X-Calibur. The polarimeter will be used in the focal plane of a grazing incidence hard X-ray telescope. It combines a low-Z Compton scatterer with a high-Z Cadmium Zinc…
Time-resolved optical and infrared polarimetric observations of black hole and neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries are presented. Data were acquired with the VLT, UKIRT and HIPPO on the SAAO 1.9-m. We find that for some sources in…
Linear polarization analysis of hard x-rays is employed to probe electronic anisotropies in metal-containing complexes with very high selectivity. We use the pronounced linear dichroism of nuclear resonant x-ray scattering to determine…
In the present study, we consider the effects of vacuum birefringence and dichroism in strong electromagnetic fields. According to quantum electrodynamics, the vacuum state exhibits different refractive properties depending on the probe…
The energy source of the anomalous X-ray pulsars is not well understood, hence their designation as anomalous. Unlike binary X-ray pulsars, no companions are seen, so the energy cannot be supplied by accretion of matter from a companion…
In the presence of strong magnetic fields near pulsars, the QED vacuum becomes a birefringent medium due to nonlinear QED interactions. Here, we explore the impact of the effective photon-photon interaction on the polarization evolution of…
We employ our new model for the polarised emission of accreting X-ray pulsars to describe the emission from the luminous X-ray pulsar Hercules X-1. In contrast with previous works, our model predicts the polarisation parameters…
Measuring natural circular dichroism in the X-ray regime to extract stereochemical information from chiral molecules in solution remains a challenge. This is primarily due to technical limitations of the existing synchrotron sources. It…
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 remarkable polarization properties of the synchrotron light have lead to the advent of modern synchrotron-related spectroscopic studies with angular and/or magnetic selectivity. We give here an overview of the prominent aspect of the…
In this paper the current status of high-energy research on the hard X-ray characteristics of the persistent emission from magnetars is reviewed. Focus is put on recent intriguing results for 1RXS J1708-40, from phase resolved spectral…
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…
This paper describes the Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (PolSTAR), a mission proposed to NASA's 2014 Small Explorer (SMEX) announcement of opportunity. PolSTAR measures the linear polarization of 3-50 keV (requirement; goal:…