X-ray Polarimetry

Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-0-521-19184-5
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 384 Seiten, Format (B × H): 175 mm x 250 mm, Gewicht: 844 g

Reihe: Cambridge Contemporary Astrophysics

• The first summary of this rapidly developing subject for researchers in astrophysics
• Discusses the instruments, theoretical models, and future missions to give a comprehensive overview of the field
• Contains broad reviews that can be easily understood by astrophysicists new to the field, as well as more detailed papers
Due to the advent of a new generation of detectors, X-ray polarimetry promises to join X-ray imaging, spectroscopy and timing as one of the main observational techniques in high energy astrophysics. This has renewed interest in the field, and indeed several polarimetric missions have recently been proposed. This volume provides a complete and up-to-date view of the subject for researchers in astrophysics. The contributors discuss the present status and perspectives of instruments, review current theoretical models, and examine future missions. As well as detailed papers, the book contains broad reviews that can be easily understood by astrophysicists new to the field.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bellazzini, Ronaldo

Costa, Enrico

Matt, Giorgio

Tagliaferri, Gianpiero

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Sonstige Technologien | Angewandte Technik Angewandte Optik
• Naturwissenschaften Astronomie Astrophysik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Angewandte Physik Astrophysik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. X-ray polarimetry: historical remarks and other considerations
Part I. Polarimetry Techniques: 2. Scattering polarimetry in high energy astronomy
3. Photoelectric polarimeters
4. Bragg crystal polarimeters
5. X-ray polarimetry with the photon counting pixel detector timepix
6. HE polarized photon interactions with matter: simulations with geant4
7. The GPD as a polarimeter: theory and facts
8. Ideal gas electron multipliers (GEMs) for x-ray polarimeters
9. Broad-band soft x-ray polarimetry
10. Feasibility of x-ray photoelectric polarimeters with large field of view
11. Angular resolution of a photoelectric polarimeter
12. Development of a Thomson x-ray polarimeter
13. Hard x / soft gamma ray polarimetry using a Laue lens
Part II. Polarized Emission in X-ray Sources: 14. Probing strong gravity effects with x-ray polarimetry
15. X-ray polarization from black holes in the thermal state
16. Strong-gravity effects acting on polarization from orbiting spots
17. Polarization of thermal emission from accreting black holes
18. X-ray polarimetry and radio-quiet AGN
19. The soft x-ray polarization in obscured AGN
20. The polarization of complex x-ray sources
21. Polarization of Compton x-rays from jets in AGN
22. Polarization of x-ray lines from galaxy clusters and elliptical galaxies
23. Polarization characteristics of rotation-powered pulsars
24. Polarized x-rays from magnetized neutron stars
25. Polarization properties of x-ray millisecond pulsars
26. X-ray polarization signatures of neutron stars
27. Polarization from the oscillating magnetized accretion torus
28. X-ray polarization from accreting white dwarfs and associated systems
29. Polarization of pulsar wind nebulae
30. X-ray polarization of gamma-ray bursts
31. Central engine afterglow from GRBs and the polarization signature
32. GRB afterglow polarimetry. Past, present and future
33. Gamma-ray polarimetry with SPI
34. INTEGRAL/IBIS observations of the Crab Nebula and GRB 041219A
35. Fermi results on the origin of high energy emission in pulsars
36. Diagnostics of the evolution of spiral galaxies in a cluster environment
Part III. Future Missions: 37. Gravity and extreme magnetism SMEX (GEMS)
38. Programs of x-ray polarimetry in Italy
39. A polarimeter for IXO
40. Polarimetry with ASTRO-H soft gamma-ray detector
41. EXIST and its polarization sensitivity
42. PoGOLite: a balloon-borne soft gamma-ray polarimeter
43. Studies of neutron background rejection in the PoGOLite polarimeter
44. Observing polarized x-rays with PoGOLite
45. Pre-flight qualification tests of the PoGOLite detector system
46. The gamma-ray polarimeter experiment (GRAPE) Balloon Payload
47. POLAR: an instrument dedicated to GRB polarization measurement
48. Polarisation detection capability of GRIPS
49. X-ray and y-ray polarimetry small satellite mission polaris
50. GAP aboard the solar powered sail mission
51. Hard x-ray polarimeter for small satellite missions
52. Performance of hard x-ray polarimeter: PHENEX
53. GRB polarimetry with POET
Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Costa, Enrico
Enrico Costa is Director of Research at the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica-Roma of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF). His areas of research are in X-ray and gamma-ray astrophysics and polarimetry.

Tagliaferri, Gianpiero
Gianpiero Tagliaferri is an Associate Astronomer at the Brera Astronomical Observatory of INAF. His research activities deal with the studies of gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei, and with the development of new X-ray focussing telescopes.

Matt, Giorgio
Giorgio Matt is a Professor at the Physics Department, Universitá Roma Tre, where he teaches both basic physics and astrophysics. His research activities are concerned mainly with the physics of accretion onto black holes, from both theoretical and observational points of view.

Bellazzini, Ronaldo
Ronaldo Bellazzini is Director of Research at the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Italy. His main research interests are particle astrophysics, X-ray polarimetry, and the development of highly innovative particle detectors.