X-Ray Polarization Detection of the Pulsar Wind Nebula in G21.5–0.9 with IXPE

Abstract We present the X-ray polarization observation of G21.5−0.9, a young Galactic supernova remnant (SNR), conducted with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in 2023 October, with a total livetime of approximately 837 ks. Using different analysis methods, such as a space-integrated study of the entire region of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and a space-resolved polarization map, we detect significant polarization from the PWN at the center of the SNR, with an average polarization degree of ∼10% oriented at ∼33° (north through east). No significant energy-dependent variation in polarization is observed across the IXPE band (2–8 keV). The polarization map, corrected for the effect of polarization leakage, reveals a consistent pattern in both degree and angle, with little change across the nebula. Our findings indicate the presence of a highly polarized central torus, suggesting low levels of turbulence at particle acceleration sites. Unlike Vela, but similar to the Crab Nebula, we observe substantial differences between radio and X-ray polarization maps. This suggests a clear separation in energy of the emitting particle populations and hints at an important, yet poorly understood, role of instabilities in the turbulence dynamics of PWNe.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2025-09-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adf6b5
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.87

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article

X-Ray Polarization Detection of the Pulsar Wind Nebula in G21.5–0.9 with IXPE

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1 citations
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
1.87
article

X-Ray Polarization Detection of the Pulsar Wind Nebula in G21.5–0.9 with IXPE

Niccolò Di Lalla, Fabian Kislat, F. Massaro, Jeffery J. Kolodziejczak, Juri Poutanen, R. Bonino, A. Brez, Laura Di Gesu, Simonetta Puccetti, Michal Dovčiak, Y. Evangelista, S. Ciprini, Silvia Zane, M. Pilia, Allyn F. Tennant, Jeremy Heyl, Andrea Possenti, Victor Doroshenko, Chien‐Ting Chen, Jacco Vink, Herman L. Marshall, Ioannis Liodakis, E. Costa, F. Tavecchio, G. Matt, Javier A. García, Pierre-Olivier Petrucci, Alessandro Di Marco, P. Soffitta, Alberto Manfreda, W. H. Baumgartner, Alessandra De Rosa, Kinwah Wu, M. Perri, Martin C. Weisskopf, E. Del Monte, G. Spandre, O. J. Roberts, Fei Xie, Jack T. Dinsmore, George G. Pavlov, Roger W. Romani, I. Agudo, Francesco Tombesi, M. Pesce-Rollins, Frédéric Marin, Patrick Slane, Toru Tamagawa, Nicolò Cibrario, Yuzuru Tawara, Fiamma Capitanio, Steven R. Ehlert, Josephine Wong, Stephen L. O’Dell, Stephen D. Bongiorno, S. Maldera, C. Sgrò, V. Karas, John Rankin, Alessandro Papitto, A. Trois, Sergey S. Tsygankov, Miltiadis Michailidis, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, W. Iwakiri, Fabio Muleri, Brian D. Ramsey, Tsunefumi Mizuno, Ikuyuki Mitsuishi, Roberto Taverna, Teruaki Enoto, R. Bellazzini, E. Cavazzuti, Sergio Fabiani, Douglas A. Swartz, Yi-Jung Yang, H. Krawczynski, Shuichi Gunji, Michela Negro, Andrea Marinucci, Alan P. Marscher, Abel L. Peirson, Matteo Bachetti, C. Oppedisano, Simone Castellano, P. Kaaret, L. Baldini, Ajay Ratheesh, N. Bucciantini, Fabio La Monaca, L. Latronico, Nicholas E. Thomas, I. Donnarumma, Stefano Silvestri, L. A. Antonelli, S. Bianchi, Roberto Turolla, N. Omodei, C.‐Y. Ng, Takao Kitaguchi
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract We present the X-ray polarization observation of G21.5−0.9, a young Galactic supernova remnant (SNR), conducted with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in 2023 October, with a total livetime of approximately 837 ks. Using different analysis methods, such as a space-integrated study of the entire region of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and a space-resolved polarization map, we detect significant polarization from the PWN at the center of the SNR, with an average polarization degree of ∼10% oriented at ∼33° (north through east). No significant energy-dependent variation in polarization is observed across the IXPE band (2–8 keV). The polarization map, corrected for the effect of polarization leakage, reveals a consistent pattern in both degree and angle, with little change across the nebula. Our findings indicate the presence of a highly polarized central torus, suggesting low levels of turbulence at particle acceleration sites. Unlike Vela, but similar to the Crab Nebula, we observe substantial differences between radio and X-ray polarization maps. This suggests a clear separation in energy of the emitting particle populations and hints at an important, yet poorly understood, role of instabilities in the turbulence dynamics of PWNe.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 991(1)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Commission, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Hong Kong Government, Marshall Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
1.87
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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