Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars
NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) was launched in December 2021. It is 100 times more sensitive to polarized X-ray emission than any preceding mission and it is opening a new observational window into high-energy astrophysics. I outline Yury N. Gnedin’s many contributions to understan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Universe |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/2/84 |
| _version_ | 1797476217018908672 |
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| author | Jeremy Heyl |
| author_facet | Jeremy Heyl |
| author_sort | Jeremy Heyl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) was launched in December 2021. It is 100 times more sensitive to polarized X-ray emission than any preceding mission and it is opening a new observational window into high-energy astrophysics. I outline Yury N. Gnedin’s many contributions to understanding polarization from neutron stars and present new simulations of observations that IXPE will perform of the X-ray pulsar Hercules X-1 and the magnetar 4U 0141+561 in February 2022. These observations highlight and test particular models that Gnedin and collaborators first proposed. I outline how IXPE will provide unique constraints on the structure and kinematics of the boundary region between the accretion flow and the neutron star surface of Hercules X-1 and how IXPE will verify the predictions of vacuum birefringence for the magnetar 4U 0142+561. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:55:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c77edcd6c97f40fcba6f84c1756cb16f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:55:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj.art-c77edcd6c97f40fcba6f84c1756cb16f2023-11-23T22:23:04ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972022-01-01828410.3390/universe8020084Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron StarsJeremy Heyl0Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, CanadaNASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) was launched in December 2021. It is 100 times more sensitive to polarized X-ray emission than any preceding mission and it is opening a new observational window into high-energy astrophysics. I outline Yury N. Gnedin’s many contributions to understanding polarization from neutron stars and present new simulations of observations that IXPE will perform of the X-ray pulsar Hercules X-1 and the magnetar 4U 0141+561 in February 2022. These observations highlight and test particular models that Gnedin and collaborators first proposed. I outline how IXPE will provide unique constraints on the structure and kinematics of the boundary region between the accretion flow and the neutron star surface of Hercules X-1 and how IXPE will verify the predictions of vacuum birefringence for the magnetar 4U 0142+561.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/2/84magnetars starsX-rays and starsstar atmospherespolarizationplasmasscattering |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy Heyl Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars Universe magnetars stars X-rays and stars star atmospheres polarization plasmas scattering |
| title | Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars |
| title_full | Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars |
| title_fullStr | Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars |
| title_short | Remembering Yury N. Gnedin at the Dawn of X-ray Polarimetry: Predictions of IXPE Observations of Neutron Stars |
| title_sort | remembering yury n gnedin at the dawn of x ray polarimetry predictions of ixpe observations of neutron stars |
| topic | magnetars stars X-rays and stars star atmospheres polarization plasmas scattering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/2/84 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeremyheyl rememberingyuryngnedinatthedawnofxraypolarimetrypredictionsofixpeobservationsofneutronstars |