Explained: NASA’s IXPE mission that will explore universe’s mysterious objects

What is the news?

NASA has launched a new mission named Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The mission was launched from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

What is the IXPE Mission?

IXPE observatory is a joint effort of NASA and the Italian Space Agency. 

Aim: To study the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – supernova remnants, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other high-energy objects.

Duration: The mission’s duration is 2 years.

Instruments used: IXPE carries three state-of-the-art space telescopes. Each of the three telescopes hosts one light-weight X-ray mirror and one detector unit. These will help observe polarized X-rays from neutron stars and supermassive black holes.

By measuring the polarization of these X-rays, we can study where the light came from and understand the geometry and inner workings of the light source.

The mission will complement other X-ray telescopes such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton.

Importance of the mission: The mission will help scientists answer questions such as:

– How do black holes spin?

– Was the black hole at the center of the Milky Way actively feeding on surrounding material in the past?

– How do pulsars shine so brightly in X-rays?

– What powers the jets of energetic particles that are ejected from the region around the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies?

Source:  This post is based on the article “Explained: NASA’s IXPE mission that will explore the universe’s mysterious objects” published in Indian Express on 10^th Dec 2021.