Polarised light from accreting low mass X-ray binaries

Abstract

Thanks to IXPE , the X-ray spectro-polarimeter launched at the end of 2021, X-ray polarimetry has finally become an extraordinary tool in investigating the physics of accretion in low mass X-ray binaries. Similarly to what happened with gravitational waves, X-ray polarimetry would play a new complementary but at the same time fundamental role in the high-energy astrophysical domain. We summarize here the first 1.5 year results on accreting low-mass X-ray binaries obtained by a huge IXPE observation campaign coordinated with the principal X-ray and Gamma-ray telescopes. Then we compare these results with the theoretical prediction highlighting the unexpected results.

Proceeding presented at the Fifth Zeldovich meeting, an international conference held in Yerevan, Armenia on June 12-16, 2023. To be published in Astronomy Report