The NASA-ASI Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched in December 2021, and since then has allowed us for the first time to perform spatially resolved X-ray polarimetry in the 2 - 8 keV band of a wide range of extended sources: from supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsar wind nebulae (PWNs), to more unconventional targets such as the molecular clouds near Sgr A* and the jet of the microquasar SS433.

Thanks to its unique capabilities, IXPE allowed us to probe the magnetic field geometry closer than ever to the particle acceleration sites in young SNR shocks such as Cas A, Tycho, and SN 1006; unveil the level of order of the magnetic fields of PWNs, the Crab, Vela, and MSH 15-52 among them; and even shed light on the recent past of our Galactic center.

This session aims to present the latest, unprecedented insights offered by the new field of spatially resolved X-ray polarimetry to the astrophysical community. We also aim to discuss the practical aspects and theoretical implications of the IXPE observations, as well as future prospects and possible wider collaborations.

(Image credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO (Chandra), NASA/MSFC (IXPE); Optical: NASA/STScI; IR: NASA/JPL/CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO)

Programme

This symposium will address the following scientific topics:

• X-ray polarimetry of Supernova Remnants
• X-ray polarimetry of Pulsar Wind Nebulae
• X-ray polarimetry of the Galactic center
• X-ray polarimetry of other extended sources
• Practical aspects and theoretical implications of the IXPE results
• Future missions and observations

Invited speakers

• Andrei Bykov (Ioffe Institute)
• Eugene Churazov(Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, IKI, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)
• Ildar Khabibullin (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, IKI, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)
• Michela Negro (Louisiana State University)
• Patrick Slane (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
• Josephine Wong (Stanford University)

Scientific organisers

• Riccardo Ferrazzoli (INAF-IAPS, Chair)
• Niccolò Bucciantini (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Co-Chair)
• Maïca Clavel (Universitè Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Co-Chair)
• Frédéric Marin (Universitè de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Co-Chair)
• Barbara Olmi (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Co-Chair)
• Jacco Vink (Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy & GRAPPA, University of Amsterdam, Co-Chair)
• Ping Zhou (School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Co-Chair)

Contact

Riccardo Ferrazzoli (Chair): riccardo.ferrazzoli @ inaf.it