Astrophysical X-Ray Polarization
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
2026-05-08 v1
Abstract
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 astrophysical systems. Here, we review the basic physical processes that produce polarized X-rays in astrophysical contexts. Then, we briefly describe the physical processes used to measure X-ray polarization and the detectors that have been flown or are under construction.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.05355,
title = {Astrophysical X-Ray Polarization},
author = {Philip Kaaret and Brian D. Ramsey},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.05355},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
21 pages, Invited chapter for the edited book "X-ray Polarimetry: Detection, Observations, Modeling and the Future" (Eds. Honghui Liu and Adam Ingram), Springer Singapore, expected in 2026