Galaxies
(Aug 2024)
The IXPE View of Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binaries
Francesco Ursini,
Andrea Gnarini,
Fiamma Capitanio,
Anna Bobrikova,
Massimo Cocchi,
Alessandro Di Marco,
Sergio Fabiani,
Ruben Farinelli,
Fabio La Monaca,
John Rankin,
Mary Lynne Saade,
Juri Poutanen
Affiliations
Francesco Ursini
Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy
Andrea Gnarini
Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy
Fiamma Capitanio
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Anna Bobrikova
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
Massimo Cocchi
INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, via della Scienza 5, I-09047 Selargius, Italy
Alessandro Di Marco
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Sergio Fabiani
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Ruben Farinelli
INAF Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
Fabio La Monaca
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
John Rankin
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
Mary Lynne Saade
Science & Technology Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Juri Poutanen
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12040043
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12,
no. 4
Abstract
Read online
Low-mass X-ray binaries hosting weakly magnetized neutron stars (NS-LMXBs) are among the brightest sources in the X-ray sky. Since 2021, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has provided new measurements of the X-ray polarization of these sources. IXPE observations have revealed that most NS-LMXBs are significantly polarized in the X-rays, providing unprecedented insight into the geometry of their accretion flow. In this review paper, we summarize the first results obtained by IXPE on NS-LMXBs, the emerging trends within each class of sources (atoll/Z), and possible physical interpretations.
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