• UGI USER
  • Jan 03, 2024
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ISRO’S XPOSAT LAUNCH: UNVEILING X-RAY POLARIMETRY

Why in the News?

  • India launched its first mission of the year , the C-58 ISRO’S XPoSat.

XPoSat Mission Overview:

  • XPoSat, ISRO’s latest mission, is the world’s second dedicated satellite for X-ray polarimetry, following NASA’s IXPE.
  • Launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, it aims to study X-ray emissions from celestial sources, using two payloads: POLIX and XSPECT.
Source: ISRO

Payloads and Significance:

  • POLIX, a medium X-ray instrument, measures polarisation in the 8-30 keV energy band, observing sources like black holes.
  • XSPECT, focusing on soft X-rays (0.8-15 keV), targets diverse cosmic entities such as X-ray pulsars and magnetars.
  • XPoSat’s significance lies in pioneering X-ray polarisation measurements, offering new insights into celestial processes.

About XPoSat:

  • XPoSat, signifies India’s ground-breaking polarimetry mission.
  • Objective: The mission’s primary objective is to investigate the diverse dynamics of astronomical sources under extreme conditions.
  • XPoSat carries two significant payloads:
  • POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) developed by the Raman Research Institute
  • XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) by the Space Astronomy Group of URSC, Bengaluru.
  • Globally, it marks the second X-ray polarimetry mission, following NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched in 2021.
  • XPoSat is a collaborative effort between ISRO and the Raman Research Institute (RRI) located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, showcasing joint expertise in space exploration and research.
What is X-ray Polarisation?

·    X-rays, consisting of electric and magnetic waves, are typically disorganized in motion.

·    Polarised X-rays occur when emitted by celestial sources like black holes.

·    During passage through materials, scattered photons change direction, and the resulting photon becomes polarised.

·    Polarisation measurements offer insights into the nature of X-ray-emitting sources and their complex radiation processes..