NASA has announced that astronomers have successfully measured and mapped polarized X-rays from the remnants of a supernova for the first time, providing a new insight into the nature of supernova remnants.
(Source: nasa.gov)
On October 19, the U.S. space agency (NASA) reported that astronomers have, for the first time, measured and mapped polarized X-rays from the remnants of a star explosion (supernova) using the X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).
This achievement is the result of observations of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, offering a new perspective on the characteristics of supernova remnants.
Cassiopeia A was the first object observed by IXPE since it began collecting data.
Pat Slane, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the lead researcher on the IXPE supernova remnant study, stated: “Without IXPE, we would have missed important information about objects like Cassiopeia A. This result reveals a fundamental aspect of the debris from this exploded star, namely the activity of the magnetic field.”
Launched into space on December 9, 2021, IXPE is a collaborative project between NASA and the Italian Space Agency. It is the first satellite capable of measuring the polarization of X-ray light with such sensitivity and clarity.
