[slate]
But there are two other parameters that we could look at if we only had
the tools to do that. And those have to do with the polarization of
the degree of polarization and the position
angle. The angle associated with the polarization. So
by doing this mission we’re opening up two more degrees
of freedom to be able to try to understand how are
the x-rays produced, what are the models. We have to be able to predict
the polarization that we will turn out to measure. So it’s really exciting.
[slate]
[slate] Our science
group has studied, we have seven different teams of studying
different classes. So for example the
radio pulsars, supernova remnants
etcetera. And so we have, we’re going to be looking at seven different
classes and several examples of those classes.
So that we get a good preliminary survey of what polarization
is out there. [slate]
[slate]
You say “well I’m not interested in that,” you know maybe polarization
might be interesting. Maybe it won’t be. Let’s wait and see what some mission
tells us. So IXPE is the "let’s wait and see" what some mission
tells us finally.
[slate]
I look at IXPE as being the
first real mission that has capability of measuring
polarization to the reasonable degree of accuracy
so that we can look at
dozens to maybe a hundred different sources and really look at different classes
and try to understand how big a role it’s playing.
[slate for associated b-roll]