Isro to illuminate cosmic mysteries of black holes with launch of XPoSat mission

The XPoSat mission is expected to be launched in the final weeks of December, aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

In Short

• he primary payload has been developed by the Raman Research Institute
• XSPECT aims to understand the long-term behavior of X-ray sources
• The mission will also conduct long-term spectral and temporal studies

India is on the brink of a significant leap in space research with the upcoming launch of its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), which will delve into the mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has meticulously planned this mission to study the polarisation of X-rays from astronomical entities, such as neutron stars, black holes, and other energetic phenomena.

The XPoSat mission is expected to be launched in the final weeks of December, aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). It will carry two scientific payloads into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 650 kilometers. These instruments are designed to operate for around five years, providing valuable data that will enhance our understanding of the universe.

WHAT IS X-RAY POLARISATION?

X-ray polarisation is like knowing which way the waves move when we take X-ray pictures of space. Imagine X-rays as wiggling ropes—polarisation is the direction they wiggle. Studying this helps scientists understand how things like black holes and neutron stars work.

It's like having a secret code that reveals details about magnetic fields, swirling matter, and energetic processes in space.

ALL ABOUT XPOSAT MISSION?

The primary payload, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in collaboration with Isro's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), is set to measure the degree and angle of polarisation in the medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV.

This instrument is a Thomson X-ray polarimeter, which includes a collimator, a scatterer, and four X-ray proportional counter detectors. POLIX is expected to observe about 40 bright astronomical sources during the mission's lifetime, making it the first payload dedicated to medium X-ray band polarimetry measurements.

Complementing POLIX, the XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will provide spectroscopic information and timing of soft X-rays in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. Developed by Isro's Space Astronomy Group, URSC, XSPECT aims to understand the long-term behavior of X-ray sources through correlation of timing characteristics with spectral state changes and emission line variations.

WHY DO WE NEED XPOSAT MISSION?

XPoSat's mission objectives are multifaceted, including the measurement of X-ray polarisation, which is a powerful tool that allows astronomers to infer information about celestial objects, from their magnetic fields to the nature of the accelerator responsible for energising the electrons involved in radiation and scattering.

The mission will also conduct long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources, bridging an energy gap in detection capability between existing soft and hard X-ray polarimeters.

This endeavor places India at the forefront of X-ray polarimetry, following Nasa's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), making XPoSat the world's second mission dedicated to such measurements.

The observatory will focus on the 50 brightest known sources in the universe, including pulsars, black hole X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and non-thermal supernova remnants.

Published By:
Sibu Kumar Tripathi
Published On:
Dec 6, 2023