PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission

2 Jan 2024

Context: Recently, ISRO has successfully launched its maiden X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.  

India Launches XPoSat: Third Space Observatory in Orbit

  • XPoSat is India’s third space-based observatory after the solar mission Aditya-L1 and AstroSat.
  • After injection of XPOSAT, the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment will be executed. 

About PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM)

  • PS4 stage is configured as a 3-axis stabilized Orbital platform for conducting experiments to space qualify systems with novel ideas. 
  • One of the technologies on-board is the fuel cell power system designed by ISRO, a precursor to future power systems for space stations. 
  • After injecting XPoSat in its orbit, the fourth stage of the launch vehicle will reduce the orbit into 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilized mode for Orbital Platform (OP) experiments
  • The orbital platform consists of Avionic systems to take care of Navigation, Guidance, Control & telecommands and Orbital Platform Attitude Control System to cater to control of the platform to test the payloads.
  • Experiments: 
    • One of the experiments is the Women Engineered Satellite (WESAT) to study the comparison between solar irradiance and UV index
    • Other experiments include a radiation shielding experiment, an amateur radio, three propulsion systems by space start-ups, a silicon-based high energy cell etc. 

About XPoSat Mission

  • Key Objectives: 
    • To measure polarisation of X-rays emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through Thomson Scattering by POLIX payload.
    • To carry out long term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources by XSPECT payload.To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources by POLIX and XSPECT payloads respectively in the common energy band.
    • To study black holes and neutron stars in Space.

Black Hole

  • Definition: A black hole is a region of space where matter has collapsed in on itself. The gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.
  • Genesis: Black holes emerge from the explosive demise of certain large stars.
  • Payloads: It comprises two payloads
    • X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX): POLIX is expected to observe about 40 bright astronomical sources of different categories during the planned lifetime of XPoSat mission of about 5 years. 
    • X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT): It can provide fast timing and good spectroscopic resolution in soft X-rays.
      • XSPECT would observe several types of sources viz X-ray pulsars, blackhole binaries, low-magnetic field neutron star (NS) in LMXBs, AGNs and Magnetars.
  • Significance of Mission: India has become the 2nd country in the world after the United States to send a specialized astronomy observatory to study black holes and neutron stars in our galaxy. 
    • NASA launched Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in 2021.

About Polarization

  • It refers to the orientation of oscillation of electromagnetic waves. 
  • For X-rays, it describes the direction in which the electric field associated with the X-ray wave oscillates.

Polarization of Astronomical X-Rays

  • It is a method of imaging and studying astronomical phenomena, studying the fluctuations in light from a source, and the energy radiated by the celestial bodies.

Applications

  • X-Ray polarization serves as a crucial diagnostic tool for examining the radiation mechanism and geometry of celestial sources. 
    • The radiation mechanism from various astronomical sources such as black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originates from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand. 
  • Analyzing X-Ray polarization signatures enables measurements of the mass and spin of accreting black holes.

Continue Reading: PSLV-C58 / XPoSat Mission

News Source: Newsonair

 

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