Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
India’s X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) has been launched to study black holes and other high-energy cosmic phenomena. Developed by ISRO, this marks India’s entry into specialized space-based X-ray polarization research.
XPoSat aims to analyze X-ray polarization from celestial sources, such as black holes, neutron stars, and supernova remnants. This mission seeks to uncover insights into the geometry, structure, and emission processes of these astronomical phenomena.
POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays): Focuses on X-ray polarization in the energy range of 8-30 keV. XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing): Captures spectral and timing data in the soft X-ray band, providing a detailed understanding of celestial X-ray sources.
X-ray polarization studies help decode the physical properties of high-energy environments. This includes understanding the geometry of black hole accretion disks, jet formations, and the role of magnetic fields in shaping these systems.
XPoSat places India among a few nations capable of conducting X-ray polarization studies. It complements NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer), enhancing global efforts to explore high-energy phenomena.
By observing polarized X-rays emitted by matter falling into black holes, XPoSat offers insights into their gravitational effects and energy dynamics. This adds to understanding the evolution of galaxies and stars influenced by black holes.
XPoSat, with its five-year mission life, is expected to generate groundbreaking data. Its findings will contribute to both national and international astrophysics research.
The mission supports testing of theories like Einstein’s General Relativity and advances knowledge of the universe’s most energetic phenomena, offering a window into the mechanisms that drive cosmic evolution.