About IXPEIXPE's two-year baseline IXPE mission will measure the x-ray polarization of cosmic sources, using three identical telescopes, each comprising an x-ray mirror assembly and a polarization-sensitive detector. The mission, a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), is led by the Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Martin C. Weisskopf at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). MSFC manages the project and is responsible for the x-ray optics and the Science Operations Center (SOC). Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) are responsible for the x-ray instrument. Ball Aerospace is the primary industry partner, responsible for the spacecraft, integration, and testing, as well as managing the Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). In addition to funding the Instrument at INAF, INFN, and industrial partner OHB-Italia, ASI provides IXPE use of its Malindi ground station and software support by its Space Science Data Center (SSDC). The SOC will archive IXPE science data products at the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), for release to the international scientific community. The IXPE Science Team comprises investigators from MSFC, INAF, INFN, and three universities --- Roma Tre University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology --- plus over 80 collaborators from more than a dozen countries. During the first two years of the mission, the IXPE Science Team develops and executes the IXPE observing program. If the mission extends beyond two years, the HEASARC will administer a General Observer (GO) program for IXPE. IXPE scienceIXPE accomplishes new science with new capabilities
IXPE observatoryIXPE mirrors
The polarization sensitive detectors
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Latest NewsThe IXPE Quick Start guide has been updated to include the use of the ixpecalcarf tool to generate observation specific response files. The IXPE Caldb has been updated for the XRT (version 20231201) and the GPD (version 20240125). Please see the release notes for details. Downloads are available from the IXPE Calibration page. Users can also access the HEASARC IXPE caldb via remote access. The Sun angle constraint has been updated in the Viewing tool for the IXPE mission. The IXPE Caldb has been updated for the XRT (version 20230526) and the GPD (version 20230526). Please see the 20230526 release notes for details. Downloads are available from the IXPE Calibration page. Users can also access the HEASARC IXPE caldb via remote access. IXPE made the cover of the May 2023 edition of Nature Astronomy with a polarized view of the Crab. The work by Bucciantini et al. provides insight into the magnetic field morphology and the generation of turbulence in this young supernova remnant system. |