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X-ray polarisation: Science • Accretion powered pulsars / high magnetic field neutron stars:X-ray beaming pattern (fan/pencil) is not known and will be determined from pulse phase resolved polarisation measurement.Rotation powered pulsars:The source of high energy emission is not known (polar cap / outer gap). Recent Fermi and Magic observations support outer gap model. Pulse phase resolved X-ray polarisation measurement of rotation powered pulsars is required.Black hole binaries:Multiple sources of X-ray polarisation – 1) reflection of coronal hard X-rays from the accretion disk, 2) thermal disk emission can be partially polarised in highly inclined sources, 3) in accretion disk around a highly spinning black hole, gravitational bending and reflection from the inner accretion disk can cause strong X-ray polarisation.SNR, Blazars, PWN can also have strong X-ray polarisation.Only one X-ray polarisation measurement of astronomical source, Crab (1976).
X-ray polarisation in black hole accretion disk Test of strong field gravity
X-ray polarisation measurement techniques Bragg Reflection Thompson Scattering Photoelectron imaging
RRI Thomson X-ray Polarimeter Measurement Technique Anisotropic Thomson Scattering Polarisation is unexplored in High Energy Astrophysics X-ray emission from the following processes should be polarised Cyclotron Synchrotron Non-Thermal Bremsstrahlung Scattering from non-spherical plasma These objects should produce polarised X-ray radiation Accretion powered pulsars Rotation powered pulsars Magnetars Pulsar wind nebulae Non-thermal supernova remnants Black holes, micro-quasars and active galactic nuclei Crab nebula is the only source for which X-ray polarisation measurement exists. This was made in 1976 !! The GEMS mission, to be launched in 2014 will work in a different energy band of 2-10 keV
Development status A Thomson X-ray polarimeter has been designed, developed and successfully tested at RRI. These have been made: Detectors Front end electronics Processing electronics Collimators with flat top response Test and calibration setup Rotational stage Results Light Curve Power spectrum Light Curve Polarised source Unpolarised source Polarised source
X-ray polarimeter small satellite mission Collimator Scatterer Detectors Key features of the polarimeter Minimum detectable Polarisation of 3% at 5 sigma level for a 50 mCrab source No of sources: 50 Weight: 110 kg Data rate: 300 Mb per orbit Spacecraft Spinning satellite, 0.5 rpm Very long exposures, one week to one month Pointing accuracy: 0.1 degree Equatorial orbit, less than 20 degree Altitude: 500—600 km