Handling the Background in IXPE Polarimetric Data

Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a Small Explorer mission by NASA and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, launched on 2021 December 9, dedicated to investigating X-ray polarimetry allowing angular-, time-, and energy-resolved observations in the 2-8 keV energy band. IXPE is in the science observation phase since 2022 January; it is comprised of three identical telescopes with grazing-incidence mirrors, each one having in the focal plane a gas pixel detector. In this paper, we present a possible guideline to obtain an optimal background selection in polarimetric analysis, and a rejection strategy to remove instrumental background. This work is based on the analysis of IXPE observations, aiming to improve as much as possible the polarimetric sensitivity. In particular, the developed strategies have been applied as a case study to the IXPE observation of the 4U 0142+61 magnetar.

Volume

165

Issue

4

Start page

143

Uri

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/36088

Url

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/acba0f

Issn Identifier

0004-6256

Ads BibCode

2023AJ....165..143D

Rights

open.access

File(s)

Name

2302.02927v1.pdf

Description

preprint

Size

2.85 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

b3964d8b37293c520d4cebbc9bdfe33c

Name

Di_Marco_2023_AJ_165_143.pdf

Description

PDF editoriale

Size

2.53 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

8cacecf2a45bdba8ab8c3387ddcb4b31

Handling the Background in IXPE Polarimetric Data

Explore By

Information and guides for authors