Speaker
Description
X-ray polarimetry has recently opened a new observational window on accreting neutron stars, enabling direct measurements of the polarization properties of radiation formed in ultra-strong magnetic fields. The first systematic observations of X-ray pulsars with IXPE have provided phase-resolved measurements of polarization degree and angle, allowing direct constraints on the geometric configuration of these systems.
These measurements have also uncovered several unexpected results, including systematically lower polarization degrees than predicted by standard models and complex phase-dependent polarization behaviour. In addition, evidence for multi-component polarized emission has emerged. While these findings demonstrate the diagnostic power of X-ray polarimetry, current observations remain limited by photon statistics and relatively narrow energy coverage.
In this talk, I will review the present observational status of X-ray polarimetry of accreting pulsars and discuss how future missions will significantly advance the field. The combination of large effective area and broad energy coverage will enable high-precision phase- and energy-resolved polarimetric studies across different luminosity states. This will allow quantitative investigation of polarization evolution with accretion rate, detailed studies of depolarization processes, and much stronger constraints on system geometry.