Related papers: X-ray polarimetry-timing
In this White Paper we present the potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies related to Observatory Science targets. These include flaring stars, supernova remnants, accreting white dwarfs, low and…
Polarization is a basic property of light and is fundamentally linked to the internal geometry of a source of radiation. Polarimetry complements photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging analyses of sources of radiation and has made possible…
The Gas Pixel Detector was designed and built as a focal plane instrument for X-ray polarimetry of celestial sources, the last unexplored subtopics of X-ray astronomy. It promises to perform detailed and sensitive measurements resolving…
We present a novel way to fit solar flare X-ray spectra that offers more sensitivity to physical flare parameters than traditional approaches to spectroscopy. We decouple physically distinct emission types in solar flare X-ray spectra using…
X-Ray Polarimetry can be now performed by using a Micro Pattern Gas Chamber in the focus of a telescope. It requires large area optics for most important scientific targets. But since the technique is additive a dedicated mission with a…
In this paper we first provide a brief history of the handful of X-ray polarization measurements that have been accomplished to date. We then outline new technological developments that indicate more detailed polarization measurements in…
X-ray polarimetry is still largely uncharted territory. With the upcoming launch of IXPE, we will learn a lot more about X-ray polarization at energies above 2 keV, but so far no current or accepted mission provides observational…
It is shown that the diffraction on a polycrystal can be used for investigation and diagnostics of X-ray radiation emitted in a forward direction by relativistic charged particles moving in crystalline or other targets or fields. Methods…
X-ray polarimetry promises to give qualitatively new information about high-energy astrophysical sources, such as binary black hole systems, micro-quasars, active galactic nuclei, neutron stars, and gamma-ray bursts. We designed, built and…
X-ray binaries hosting a compact object have been among the main targets of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) since its launch, due to their high brightness in the 2-8 keV energy band. The spectropolarimetric analysis performed…
The constantly improving sensitivity of ground-based and space-borne observatories has made possible the detection of high-energy emission (X-rays and gamma-rays) from several thousands of extragalactic sources. Enormous progress has been…
There are four major X-ray satellites currently in operation, with two more shortly to follow, and several very ambitious observatories in various stages of planning. This very rich period of X-ray observation is leading to great advances…
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…
Currently available information on fast variability of the X-ray emission from accreting collapsed objects constitutes a complex phenomenology which is difficult to interpret. We review the current observational standpoint for black-hole…
Photons preferentially Compton scatter perpendicular to the plane of polarisation. This property can be exploited to design instruments to measure the linear polarisation of hard X-rays ($\sim$10 - 100 keV). Photons may undergo two…
Planets reflect and linearly polarize the radiation that they receive from their host stars. The emergent polarization is sensitive to aspects of the planet atmosphere such as the gas composition and the occurrence of condensates and their…
Since the birth of X-ray Astronomy, spectacular advances have been seen in the imaging, spectroscopic and timing studies of the hot and violent X-ray Universe, and further leaps forward are expected in the future. On the other hand,…
The prospects for accomplishing X-ray polarization measurements appear to have grown in recent years after a more than 35-year hiatus. Unfortunately, this long hiatus has brought with it some confusion over the statistical uncertainties…
The synchrotron radiation is commonly known to be completely linearly polarized when observed in the orbital plane of the synchrotron motion. Under actual experimental conditions, however, the degree of polarization of the synchrotron…
Polarization is one of light's most versatile degrees of freedom for both classical and quantum applications. The ability to measure light's state of polarization and changes therein is thus essential; this is the science of polarimetry. It…