A Polarimeter for Low Energy X-ray Astrophysical Sources
(PLEXAS)
Poster
Paper (pdf) presented at the SPIE meeting in 2002.
meeting.
Here is
a better version of the photo in the paper, which shows the SAO
summer intern, Emily M. Laubacher working on the experimental
apparatus. Here is another picture of
the setup.
Features of the instrument:
- Can be used to measure X-ray polarization in 3 bandpasses
centered at 0.23 keV, 0.25 keV and 0.27 keV
- Polarizations are measurable to +/- 1-3 % in a day for most targets
- Multilayer coatings give the optics good reflectivity (up to 30%
in the s polarization) at 45 degree angles of incidence
- Compact design (1 m by 0.3 m) suitable to the NASA UNEX program
- Detectors time events to 1-10 microsec, so that pulsars can be observed
Updated: June 17, 2008