IXPE Data Analysis Splinter Session at the HEAD 21 Meeting

General Information

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Small Explorer Mission resulting from the collaboration of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the Italian Space Agency and other partners. IXPE has been successfully performing science operations since January 2022, with Cycle 1 General Observations due to starting in early 2024.

Ixpeobssim is a simulation and analysis framework developed specifically for IXPE and designed to generate realistic simulated observations. The core simulation capabilities of this recently released package are complemented by a suite of post-processing applications capable of selecting, binning, and analyzing both simulated and actual flight data. In this splinter session, we intend to maximize the scientific return of IXPE by conducting an open, hands-on training session in the use of both ixpeobssim and HEASOFT tools, accompanied by a brief review of statistical methods and best practices for analyzing publicly available IXPE data.

The IXPE data analysis splinter was held on Monday, 8th of April 2024 (3:30pm-5:00pm Central Time). The slides from the presentations can be found below. Please note that the presentations also contain links to supplementary materials.

Splinter Agenda