News and Updates from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)

On 3/24/23, American Astronomical Society (AAS) NOVA posted “Investigating Polarized Magnetar Flares” (https://aasnova.org/2023/03/24/investigating-polarized-magnetar-flares/), highlighting IXPE observations of the magnetar (highly magnetized neutron star) J170849.0-40091, showing energy dependent x-ray polarization, increasing from 20% (2 keV) to 80% (8 keV). In other news, The American Astronomical Society (AAS) held the 20th meeting of its High-Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) 3/26-30/23. In total, 28 IXPE papers (18 talks and 10 posters) were presented either in the regular program or in IXPE-specific sessions, including a tutorial session on IXPE simulation and analysis tools. MSFC members of the IXPE Science Team presented two of the talks, including “IXPE Mission Overview and Status.”

On 3/28/23, NASA posted “NASA Missions Study What May Be a 1-In-10,000-Year Gamma-Ray Burst” (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-missions-study-what-may-be-a-1-in-10000-year-gamma-ray-burst), reporting on studies of GRB 221009A, which was observed by several high-energy astrophysics missions—including Fermi, Swift, and IXPE. This news release coincided with a GRB 221009A session at the AAS HEAD meeting and with publication of a focus issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters (https://iopscience.iop.org/collections/apjl-230323-172_Focus-on-the-Ultra-luminous-GRB-221009A), with one article on the IXPE observation.

IXPE 1 in a 1000 year GRB

On 3/29/23, American Astronomical Society (AAS) NOVA posted “Focusing on the Brightest Gamma-ray Burst of All Time” (https://aasnova.org/2023/03/29/gamma-ray-burst-grb-221009a/), highlighting the extensive international campaign to observe this “brightest of all time” gamma-ray burst. The posting included IXPE results, which provided the first observational constraints on the x-ray polarization of GRBs. And on  4/7/23, NASA posted “Historic Nebula Seen Like Never Before With NASA's IXPE” (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ixpe/feature/nasa-s-ixpe-unveils-crab-nebula-s-magnetic-field-structure), reporting on IXPE observations of the Crab pulsar-wind nebula combined with Chandra high-resolution images, published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

A new composite image of the Crab Nebula features X-rays from Chandra (blue and white), optical data from Hubble (purple), and infrared data from Spitzer (pink). Chandra has repeatedly observed the Crab since the telescope was launched into space in 1999. The Crab Nebula is powered by a quickly spinning, highly magnetized neutron star called a pulsar, which was formed when a massive star ran out of its nuclear fuel and collapsed. The combination of rapid rotation and a strong magnetic field in the Crab generates an intense electromagnetic field that creates jets of matter and anti-matter moving away from both the north and south poles of the pulsar, and an intense wind flowing out in the equatorial direction.
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