Accretion physics with X-ray polarized vision

by Alexandra Veledina (University of Turku & Nordita)

Wednesday 29 May 2024, 13:30 → 14:30 Europe/Stockholm

Albano 3: 6228 - Mega (22 seats) (Albano Building 3)

I will give an overview of the findings made with the new space mission Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). IXPE is the first satellite fully dedicated to X-ray polarimetry measurements. It is sensitive to the direction of the electric field in the X-ray photons and examines the polarization of the incoming signal - the excess of photons with a given direction of electromagnetic wave oscillations. Polarization arises from the broken spherical symmetry of the system and is a fine tool to probe the source geometry. IXPE operations have provided pivotal insights into various astrophysical phenomena, including accreting black holes and neutron stars, pulsars and their nebulae, magnetars, blazars and the center of our Galaxy. In this presentation, I will give an overview of the novel findings in the field of accreting black holes, as illuminated by the IXPE data.

Veledina_2024-05-29.mp4