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X-Ray Polarimetry Workshop SLAC, Stanford, California 9-11 February 2004 |
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A SMEX Advanced X-Ray Polarimeter
Jean
Swank
Goddard Space Flight Centre
swank@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
J. H. Swank and the AXP Team
The Advanced X-ray Polarimeter (AXP) is a SMEX-sized experiment for the exploration of X-ray polarization from cosmic sources. It would provide polarization information to see into the structure of supernova remnants, active galactic nuclei, stellar black holes, and high magnetic field neutron star X-ray sources. Electron-tracking detectors at the foci of 3 conical-optics telescopes with the 4.5 m focal length used on ASTRO-E2 could image extended sources with arc-minute resolution and also explore phase dependence of pulsar polarization. They could determine the polarization for several energy bands of 2-10 keV X-rays with unprecedented sensitivity, down to a few per cent in observations lasting a few days. In two years 60 targets could be observed with sensitivities that would detect polarizations predicted for significant samples of X-ray sources.
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For more information, contact
Jennifer Formichelli |
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