Payloads Of XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite)
XPoSat carried two major payloads that will study the emission and polarisation of astronomical X-rays in extreme space conditions. Lets dive into the details.
POLIX â The Primary Payload Of XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite)
POLIX is an X-ray Polarimeter instrument that will study the X-ray in between 8 to 30 keV.
- This payload has been developed by Raman Research Institute (RRI).
- The payload is made of a collimator with a scatterer and four X-ray proportional counter detectors.
- The scatterer is surrounded by those four X-ray proportional counter detectors.
- For the low atomic mass, the scatterer can create anisotropic Thomson scattering by using incoming X-rays.
- The collimatorâs view is 3 degrees x 3 degrees with a bright source.
- It is expected that the payload will be able to observe and capture around 40 bright astronomical sources from different categories.
- This is the first payload developed in the medium X-ray energy band to perform polarimetry measurements in extreme space conditions.
XSPECT â The Secondary Payload Of XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite)
XSPECT is an X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing Payload that can provide soft X-rays in a fast time frame with spectroscopic resolution.
- It will record, examine, and perform long-term monitoring of the spectral state changes.
- The payload will monitor the line flux and profile the different spectral state changes.
- XSPECT will do temporal monitoring emission of soft X-rays on a long-term basis.
- It will track the source and background of different types of X-rays, blackhole binaries, and the low-magnetic field neutron star (NS).
- Passive collimators installed in POLIX will reduce the background to narrow the field view of the XSPECT.
XPoSat â X-ray Polarimeter Satellite
XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is the first polarimetry and third observatory space mission of India. The main objective is to study astronomical objects like black holes through this mission. The XPoSat satellite was launched by ISRO at 09:10 Hrs IST (03:40 Hrs GMT) on January 1, 2024, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre by using a PSLV-C58 launching vehicle.
In this article, we will discuss the XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) mission with its components, objectives, and future projections.
XPoSat â X-ray Polarimeter Satellite
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