X-Ray Polarimetry: A New Window in Astrophysics

ISBN-13: 9780521191845 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 362 str.

Ronaldo Bellazzini

Opis

Presenting detailed papers and broad reviews, this volume provides a complete view of X-ray polarimetry for researchers in astrophysics.

Spis treści

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.