Re-detection and a possible time variation of soft X-ray polarization from the Crab

• Published in: Nature astronomy Vol. 4; no. 5; pp. 511 - 516
• Main Authors: Feng, Hua, Li, Hong, Long, Xiangyun, Bellazzini Ronaldo, Costa, Enrico, Wu, Qiong, Huang, Jiahui, Jiang Weichun, Minuti Massimo, Wang, Weihua, Xu Renxin, Yang Dongxin, Baldini Luca, Citraro Saverio, Nasimi Hikmat, Soffitta Paolo, Muleri Fabio, Jung Aera, Yu, Jiandong, Ge, Jin, Zeng Ming, Peng, An, Brez Alessandro, Latronico Luca, Sgro Carmelo, Spandre Gloria, Pinchera, Michele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Astronomy; Emission measurements; Emissions; Magnetic fields; Polarization; Space telescopes
• ISSN: 2397-3366; 2397-3366
• DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1088-1

The Crab nebula is so far the only celestial object with a statistically significant detection in soft X-ray polarimetry1–4, a window that has not been explored in astronomy since the 1970s. However, soft X-ray polarimetry is expected to be a sensitive probe of magnetic fields in high-energy astrophysical objects, including rotation-powered pulsars5–7 and pulsar wind nebulae8. Here we report the re-detection of soft X-ray polarization after 40 years from the Crab nebula and pulsar with PolarLight9, a miniature polarimeter utilizing a novel technique10,11 onboard a CubeSat. The polarization fraction of the Crab in the on-pulse phases was observed to decrease after a glitch of the Crab pulsar on 23 July 2019, while that of the pure nebular emission remained constant within uncertainty. The phenomenon may have lasted about 100 days. If the association between the glitch and polarization change can be confirmed with future observations, it will place strong constraints on the physical mechanism of the high-energy emission12–14 and glitch15–17 of pulsars.A soft X-ray polarimetry capability has been missing from astronomy since the late 1970s. Here a CubeSat polarimeter named PolarLight has detected the Crab nebula and pulsar in the soft X-ray band, measuring their polarized emission. PolarLight observed a pulsar glitch, with an associated polarization change.