ISRO's XPoSat payload commences observations

Bengaluru: POLIX, the X-ray Polarimeter onboard the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s XPoSat mission, has commenced its scientific observations.

ISRO said on Tuesday that a pulse profile of the Crab pulsar was generated from the observations carried out by POLIX between January 15 and 18. These initial observations are significant in that they validate the instrument’s functionality and readiness to investigate pulsars, black holes, and other astronomical sources.

Pulsars are rotating neutron stars that have pulses of radiation and beam particles and light as they rotate.

POLIX was activated in two stages by January 10, and the initial scan observations were conducted around the Crab pulsar, a pulsating star that resides near the centre of the Crab Nebula and spins about its axis approximately 30 times per second. “The data plotted was collected during January 15-18 and thoroughly reviewed for confirmation. The data aligns with the expectations,” ISRO said.

The XPoSat mission that was launched on January 1 with two payloads on board is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study the dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.

POLIX was designed and developed by the X-ray Astronomy Laboratory at Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru. The instrument is built indigenously with the support of Indian industry.

“As the sole payload offering data in this energy band, POLIX is poised to offer unique insights and contribute to understanding the physical processes associated with astronomical X-ray sources,” ISRO said.

The space agency said the other instrument onboard XPoSat – the X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT) payload – is also ready for observations.