NASA's IXPE observatory begins zeroing in on exploded star as mission begins

The brand new Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory, which was launched by NASA through SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on December 9, 2021, has begun its operations. The IXPE is the first dedicated observatory to study the polarization of X-rays coming from objects like exploded stars and black holes and has already begun zeroing in on a supernova remnant named Cassiopeia A (Cas A). Installed 600 kilometres above the Earth, the observatory is a joint effort of NASA and the Italian Space Agency.

IXPE sets eyes on its first target

The observatory's first target is the Cassiopeia A, which is a remnant of a star that went supernova around 350 years ago in our own Milky Way galaxy. NASA says that supernovae are an excellent source for studying extreme physics in space as they are filled with magnetic energy and accelerate particles to near light speed. Now that the observations have begun, scientists will use the IXPE to study the X-ray polarisation of Cas A for three weeks to create a detailed structure of its magnetic field. According to the agency, polarisation is the phenomenon that describes how X-ray light is oriented as it travels through space. Studying a polarised light can make revelations about the source the light is emerging from and the environment it has been through.

Martin Weisskopf, the mission’s principal investigator said in a NASA statement, "Measuring X-ray polarization is not easy. You have to collect a lot of light, and the unpolarized light acts like background noise. It can take a while to detect a polarized signal." Once the observatory is done observing the supernova remains, it will measure the spin of stellar-mass black holes by probing the twisted space-time around them and then move on to different types of neutron stars, such as pulsars and magnetars which are also on the list. 

"The start of IXPE’s science observations marks a new chapter for X-ray astronomy. One thing is certain, we can expect the unexpected", Weisskopf said as per NASA. Before IXPE came to life, the mission team spent three weeks aligning the telescopes and testing the observatory's manoeuvring and pointing abilities by pointing it at two cosmic entities- a black-hole-powered galaxy core with shooting jets into space and a spinning dead star. 

Image: NASA