IXPE will study the polarization of X-rays from the cosmos

The James Webb Space Telescope has been deployed but it is not the only observatory that has been sent into space in recent weeks. On January 11, NASA announced that the IXPE was ready to start its scientific operations.

IXPE stands for polar and metric x-ray imaging explorer, it is a joint effort of nasa and the italian space agency, it was launched on december 9, 2021 and its mission is to explore some of the most hot and energetic parts of the universe.

To achieve this, the IXPE is made up of three identical telescopes designed to measure the polarization of cosmic x-rays, they are mounted on an arm with the necessary distance to focus the x-rays on their detectors.

The IXPE was successfully deployed on December 15, the responsible team spent the next three weeks checking the observatory's maneuvering and orientation capabilities and aligning the telescopes for proper operation.

Now it's ready for its first official science target which is Cassiopeia A it's the remnants of a massive star that blew up in a supernova about 350 years ago here in our own galaxy the milky way supernovae are full of magnetic energy and accelerate particles at nearly the speed of light, making them natural laboratories for studying extreme physics in space.

The IXPE will provide details about the structure of Cassiopeia A's magnetic field that cannot be observed in any other way. By studying the x-ray polarization, scientists can determine the detailed structure of its magnetic field and the sites where these particles speed up.

Mission Principal Investigator Martin Weisskopf stated that “the beginning of IXPE science observations will mark a new chapter for x-ray astronomy” one thing is for sure we can expect the unexpected

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