Understanding the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat):

• The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is set to be launched later this year.
• XPoSat is the world's second polarimetry mission, following NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched in 2021.
• This makes XPoSat the first of its kind in India, designed to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources under extreme conditions.
• The XPoSat's payload consists of POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), the primary payload, and the XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload.
• POLIX will be able to observe approximately 40 bright astronomical sources of various types throughout the five-year XPoSat mission.
• The XSPECT payload will observe a range of sources, such as X-ray pulsars, black hole binaries, low-magnetic field neutron stars, and provide spectroscopic information.
• The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) includes three telescopes, each with a lightweight X-ray mirror and a detector unit, to observe polarized X-rays from neutron stars and supermassive black holes.
• By measuring polarization with these telescopes, we can gain insight into the origin, geometry, and mechanics of the light source.

The Role of X-Rays in Space:

• The temperature of an object determines the emission of the wavelength of radiation, with hotter objects emitting a shorter wavelength of peak emission.
• X-rays have a shorter wavelength in the range of 0.03 to 3 nanometers, comparable to the size of a single atom of many elements. They also carry high energy.
• X-rays originate from a variety of objects, including pulsars, galactic supernova remnants, and black holes, which have temperatures in the millions of degrees Celsius. These X-rays are the result of complex physical processes that are not easily understood.
• X-rays consist of moving electric and magnetic waves with peaks and valleys that move randomly. However, polarized light is more organized, with two types of waves vibrating in the same direction.
• Polarized lenses have various applications. For example, they are used by outdoor enthusiasts to reduce glare from the sun when near bodies of water.