The XSPECT payload on XPoSat, India’s first X-ray polarimetric mission, has achieved a significant milestone by capturing its first light from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant. Launched on January 1, 2024, XPoSat is equipped with two co-aligned instruments, namely the POLarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT), which are designed to unravel the mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources.
The POLIX instrument focuses on investigating X-ray polarization in medium-energy X-rays, while the XSPECT payload engages in continuous and long-term spectral and temporal studies of X-ray sources in the soft X-ray band.
During its performance verification phase, the XSPECT payload was directed towards Cassiopeia A, a standard celestial source used for instrument evaluation. The observation, which commenced on January 5, 2024, successfully captured the supernova remnant’s emission lines corresponding to elements such as Magnesium, Silicon, Sulphur, Argon, Calcium, and Iron.
The XSPECT payload is a creation of the Space Astronomy Group of U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)/ISRO, Bengaluru. Its continuous observations, facilitated by the payload’s long-duration capabilities, are expected to significantly contribute to our understanding of the universe’s high-energy phenomena.
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Last updated on : Thu Jan 11 2024 06:50:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
