>> COMPLETING THESE MODULES WE
HAVE JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION, VERY
THIN MEMBRANES ON THE ENTRANCE
AND EXIT MODULES.
THE MEMBRANES ARE THERE TO
CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE.
THEY ARE EXTREMELY THIN.
THEY LET THROUGH THE X-RAYS VERY
EFFICIENTLY BUT THEY STOP HEAT
FROM RADIATING FROM INSIDE THE
MODULE.
THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP NICE
COMFORTABLE ROOM TEMPERATURE.
THIS FOCUS THAT THE X-RAYS DOWN
TO THESE REMARKABLE DETECTORS
THAT ARE PROVIDED BY OUR ITALIAN
COLLEAGUES.
THAT'S WHAT PROVIDES THAT
POLARIZATION SENSITIVITY.
LUKE WILL TELL US ABOUT THOSE.
THAT'S THE PAYLOAD.
IT COMPLEMENTS THE OTHER
MISSIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY FIND.
WE HAVE MISSIONS THAT SPECIALIZE
IN SE, ANGULAR RESOLUTION AND
DIFFERENT WAVELENGTH OR TIMING.
IT'S SOMETHING UNIQUE AND ADDS
TO THAT MIX SO WE GET A MUCH
BROADER PICTURE.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT VERY
DRAMATIC OBJECTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT BLACK HOLES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT VERY INTENSE
MAGNETIC FIELDS.
THOUSAND MILLION TIMES MAGNETIC
FIELD.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS
MISSION.
WE ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO GET ON
ORBIT AND START PROBING THE
MYSTERIES OF THESE EXHAUSTS.
BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ELIZABETH
WHO'S GOING TO TALK TO MORE
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER LAUNCH.
>> LET ME SEE THE BEGINNING THAT
THE LAUNCH ON NOVEMBER 9 IS KEY
POINT OF THE MISSION.
IT WILL BE INSERTED LOWER EARTH
ORBIT.
YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THE IT'S
DRIVEN BY RESULTS.
NOW WE FACE THE NEXT TWO YEARS
OF THE OPERATION PHASE.
WHICH SCIENTISTS WILL WORK
TOGETHER.
YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S MADE OF
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.
IT'S MADE BY PEOPLE AND
INSTRUMENTS AND FACILITIES.
THE OBSERVATORY IN SIX OR SEVEN
TIMES A DAY TO THE PRIMARY
GROUND STATION PROVIDED AND
LOCATE --
THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE
AEROSPACE AROUND THE MISSION
OPERATION CENTER WHICH IS
LOCATED IN COLORADO.
IT MEANS THAT THE -- IT TALKS TO
THE SCIENCE OPERATION CENTER
WHICH IS IN ALABAMA.
IT WORKS WITH THE CENTER WHICH
HAS CONTRIBUTED WITH
INTERNATIONAL TEAM TO THE
SCIENTIFIC PIPELINE WHICH
ELABORATE AND ANALYZE AND
DISTRIBUTE THE DETAILS.
WHEN THE DATA WILL BE BACK AND
ALIVE BY SCIENTISTS, THEY WILL
BE READY TO BE DISTRIBUTED BY
NASA CENTER IN GREENBERG.
IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED WITHIN
ONE WEEK AFTER THE END OF EACH
OBSERVATION.
EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST THREE
MONTHS WHERE WE NEED TO BE SURE
THAT DATA WELL ANALYZED.
AS BRIAN SAID, IT'S THE FIRST
TIME EVER WE FLY A POLARIMETRY.
AT THE END, WE HAVE THIS
COLLABORATION, WHICH IS ALSO
COORDINATED BY A SCIENCE
ADVISORY TEAM CO-CHAIRED BY
SANFORD UNIVERSITY.
THEN WE HAVE JAPANESE WHO
CONTRIBUTED TO THE DETECTOR.
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WIDE IT
IS.
I WILL CONCLUDE MY SPEECH WITH
THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE
ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY WHICH LED
THE ITALIAN CONTRIBUTION.
THE HEART OF THE INSTRUMENT IS
THIS POLARIMETRY WHICH
McKENZIE SHOWED YOU.
IT IS AT THE FOCUS OF EACH
MODEL.
IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND TESTED
BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
--NUCLEAR PHYSICS IN ITALY.
WE HAVE ALSO COLLABORATION WHEEL
WHICH IS ON TOP THE DETECTOR.
IT CARRIES A FILTER WHICH WILL
ALLOW THE TEAM TO CALIBRATE THE
DETECTOR WHILE IN ORBIT.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP
THE DETECTOR WELL TRAINED.
FINALLY, WE HAVE IN THESE TWO
CONTRIBUTION, WE ARE PART OF THE
ITALIAN INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTION BY
OHB.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE OUR FIRST
RESULTS.
>> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE LUCA WHO IS
GOING TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THE DETECTORS
THEMSELVES AND WHAT KINDS OF
SCIENCE WE CAN EXPECT.
>> THANK YOU.
I LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE
DETECTORS FOR A SECOND.
REALLY PRIORITIZATION HAS TO DO
WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANE
WHERE THE ELECTRIC FIELD OF THE
X-RAY OSCILLATE.
WHEN THE X-RAY INTERACTS WITH
OUR DETECTOR, WHAT HAPPENS
ELECTRONS APPEARS IN PLACE.
WE TRYING TO FOLLOW THE
FOOTSTEPS OF ELECTRONS.
THAT'S KEY.
THAT'S OUR BASIC PROXY TO
DIRECTION.
THE PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE.
I THINK THESE MAKE THESE
DETECTORS BEAUTIFUL.
NOW IF I CAN ADD MY FIRST
ANIMATION I LIKE TO WALK YOU
THROUGH THE PATH THAT AN X-RAY
TAKES FROM THE SOURCE.
THE FIRST ELEMENT THAT IT
ENCOUNTERS IS THE ASSEMBLY.
HERE'S THE INTERACTION WITH THE
DETECTOR AND THE TRACK THAT'S
CREATED AND COLLECTED.
YOU MIGHT WONDER IF IT'S REALLY
THAT SIMPLE HOW IT TOOK YOU GUYS
SO LONG.
THE ANSWER IS, THE TRACKS OF
THESE ELECTRONS ARE REALLY
SMALL.
THEY ARE LESS THAN MILLIMETER
LONG.
IT REALLY TAKES A FAIRLY HIGH
GRANULETY TO RESOLVE THESE
TRUCKS.
THESE ARE AN IDENTICAL COPY OF
THE DETECTORS.
PARTICULARLY, THESE TINY READ
OUT CHIPS.
THAT'S WHAT REALLY MAKES THE
MISSION POSSIBLE.
IN A SENSE, YOU MIGHT SAY THAT
ALL IT'S ABOUT, FOR WAITING FOR
X-RAYS BY THE SOURCES FAR AWAY
TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE UNIVERSE
AND GET TO THIS TINY READ OUT
SHEETS.
IF I CAN HAVE MY SECOND PICTURE
I LIKE TO SWITCH GEARS AND TALK
ABOUT ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT
SOURCES.
IF YOU IMAGINE -- IT'S WHAT
REMAINS FROM THE EXPLOSION.
IF YOU IMAGINE TAKING AS FAR
LIKE THE SUN -- THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT RESEMBLES THE CENTER.
ON TOP.
THAT, YOU HAVE THE BLAST WAVE
FROM THE EXPLOSION WHICH IS
WHERE THE COSMIC CRAZE TO BE
ACCELERATED.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT SOURCE TO
US.
IT WILL BE THE FIRST SOURCE WE
WILL OBSERVE IN OUR PROGRAM.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ONE SINGLE
IMAGE.
WE'LL GET THREE DIFFERENT IMAGES
AT THE SAME TIME.
ONE IS THE INTENSITY MAP WHICH
IS SOME OF THE OTHER IMAGING
INSTRUMENTS DO.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GOING
TO GET TWO MORE IMAGES AS BRIAN
SAID.
THIS IS REALLY THE NEW
INFORMATION THEY WILL BRING TO
THE TABLE.
I THINK I CAN SAY, WE ALL CAN'T
WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT WE'LL SEE.
I WILL PASS IT OVER TO KAREN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WILL FINISH UP WITH
McKENZIE FERRY FROM BALL
AEROSPACE WHO WILL EXPLAIN HOW
THIS SPACECRAFT CAME TOGETHER.
>> YOU GUYS GOT TO HEAR ABOUT
THE GREAT SCIENCE WILL BE
PRODUCED.
BALL AIR SPACE IS EXTREMELY
EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS
COLLABORATION.
WE'RE PARTNERED TO FABRICATE A
SYMBOL AND INTEGRATE AND TEST
THE OBSERVATORY.
AS YOU HEARD FROM BRIAN AND
LUCA, THE MERE MODEL ASSEMBLES
UP HERE.
THEN THE INSTRUMENTS DOWN HERE
WERE CONTRIBUTED BY THE ITALIAN
SPACE AGENCY.
WE RECEIVED THESE AND INTEGRATED
THEM IN THE OBSERVATORY ALONG
WITH THE SPACECRAFT BUS.
IT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
OBSERVATORY. HAD COMMANDS AND
POWERS EVERYTHING ON THE
OBSERVATORY.
CURRENTLY THE OBSERVATORY IS IN
ITS LAUNCH CONFIGURATION.
OBVIOUSLY.
IN ITS LAUNCH CONFIGURATION,
IT'S ACTUALLY MUCH MORE COMPACT.
IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
REFRIGERATOR.
EVENTUALLY, IN ORDER TO MEET THE
X-RAY REQUIREMENTS THAT BRIAN
AND LUCA HAVE MENTIONED, WE NEED
TO BE 4 METERS AWAY TO THE
INSTRUMENT.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE DEPLOYABLE BOOM IN THE
HERE THAT BRIAN POINTED OUT.
IN SPACE IT WILL DEPLOY A JACK
IN THE BOX.
GET THE MMAs AND INSTRUMENTS
IN THEIR PROPER LOCATION IN
ORDER TO GET THE SCIENCE DATA.
ALSO AS I MENTIONED, BALL
AEROSPACE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
TESTING THE OBSERVATORY AT THE
FACTORY.
TESTING IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE
OBSERVATORY.
IT REALLY IS THE TESTAMENT TO
SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO SURVIVE
ALL THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS
IT'S GOING TO SEE.
ONE IN PARTICULAR IS LAUNCH IN
ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS.
IT'S A REALLY ROUGH RIDE TO GET
UP THERE.
IT'S NOT SMOOTH.
WE NEED TO SHAKE IT AND INDUCE
LOADS INTO THE OBSERVATORY TO
ENSURE IT WILL MAKE IT UP INTO
SPACE.
ALSO, IN SPACE, IT'S GOING TO
SEE LOT OF DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE
CHANGES.
WE SIMULATE THOSE TEMPERATURE
CHANGES IN THE THERMO VAC
TESTING THAT YOU WILL SEE IN MY
FIRST IMAGE HERE, IT'S OF THE
OBSERVATORY DEPLOYED IN OUR
TIGHTENED THERMO VAC CHAMBER.
THIS IS WHERE WE SIMULATED ALL
OF THE DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES
THAT IT WILL SEE IN SPACE.
AFTER LAUNCH, AS ELIZABETH
MENTIONED, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE
THE FUN STARTS.
WE GET TO OPERATE IT.
BALL AEROSPACE IS PART OF THE
COMMISSIONING AND THE MISSION
OPERATIONS OF THE OBSERVATORY.
WE ARE PARTNERED WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
WHAT'S FUN ABOUT THIS
PARTNERSHIP IS THAT NOT ONLY DO
WE GET TO WORK WITH THE
UNIVERSITY STAFF, WE GET TO WORK
WITH THE STUDENTS AS WELL.
THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE THE
FOLKS OPERATING THE OBSERVATORY
UP IN SPACE FOR THE NEXT COMING
YEARS ALONG WITH BALL, OUR
ITALIAN PARTNERS AND MARSHALL AS
WELL.
IN MY NEXT GRAPHIC HERE, WE CAN
SHOW YOU WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
IN SPACE.
WHEN WE FIRST GET UP THERE, THE
FIRST THING THAT WILL HAPPEN
THAT THE SOLAR I RAYS WILL
DEPLOY.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THIS IS WHAT WILL CHARGE OUR
BATTERY TO THE FULL CAPACITY SO
THAT WE CAN THEN START TURNING
ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS ON.
COMMISSIONING IS ABOUT 30 DAYS
LONG.
ABOUT DAY SEVEN IS WHERE YOU
WILL SEE THE BOOM DEPLOY HERE
AND THAT'S WHERE WE WILL GET THE
MODEL ASSEMBLIES, INSTRUMENTS IN
THEIR PROPER LOCATION SO WE CAN
START TAKING THE WONDERFUL
SCIENCE DATA THAT YOU GET TO SEE
EVENTUALLY.
I'M REALLY EXCITED.
I KNOW EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID
THEY ARE VERY EXCITED.
WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT BACK
EVERY TO KAREN FOR QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WILL START THE PROCESS OF
TAKING QUESTIONS NOW.
WE WILL WORK FROM THE ROOM
FIRST.
WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS ON THE
PHONE IF WE HAVE THEM.
THEN, WE STILL HAVE TAKING
SOCIAL MEDIA QUESTIONS WITH #ASK
NASA.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE ROOM?
AMY THOMPSON?
>> THANK YOU.
I'M FROM SPACE.COM.
I WAS WONDERING HOW IXPE DIFFERS
FROM THE OBSERVATORY AND WHAT
KIND OF SCIENCE YOU'LL DO WITH
THIS THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE
TO DO BEFORE?
I KNOW SOME OF THE RELEASES IT
WAS TALKING ABOUT SPIN RATES OF
BLACK HOLES.
I WAS WONDERING, HOW IMPORTANT
IS IT TO KNOW THAT WHAT DOES
THAT TELL YOU ABOUT A BLACK
HOLE?
>> YOU MENTIONED CHANDRA.
IT'S A GREAT OBSERVATORY.
IT SPECIALIZES IN IMAGING, IT
HAS EXTREMELY HIGH ANGULAR
RESOLUTION.
WHEREAS, IXPE IS DOING SOMETHING
NEW.
IT'S MEASURING THE POLARIZATION.
THE POLARIZATION IS A MEASURE OF
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS THAT ARE
PRESENT IN THE
WE'RE GETTING A UNIQUE LOOK AT
SOURCES.
YOU MENTIONED SPIN OF THE BLACK
HOLE.
YES, IXPE CAN DO THAT.
WE EXPECT THAT THE POLARIZATION
WILL BE CURVED IN THE SPACE
AROUND THE BLACK HOLE.
IF WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT
ENERGIES, WE CAN LOOK DEEPER AND
DEEPER INTO THAT AND GET CLOSER
AND CLOSER TO THE BLACK HOLE.
WE CAN MEASURE THE SPIN OF THE
BLACK HOLE IN THAT WAY.
THAT PROVIDES A FAIRLY CLEAN
MEASURE OF THE SPIN OF THE BLACK
HOLE.
>> THANK YOU, BRIAN.
WE ARE NEXT GOING TO JEFF FAUST
WITH SPACE NEWS CALLING IN ON
THE PHONE PLEASE.
GO AHEAD, JEFF.
>> TWO QUESTIONS FOR WHOEVER
WANTS TO TAKE THEM.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE CHOICE OF
THE ORBIT, 600 KILOMETERS, WHAT
FACTORS DROVE THAT PARTICULAR
ORBIT CHOICE?
WHAT'S THE LIMITING FACTOR IN
THE LIFETIME OF THE SPACECRAFT?
IS IT DEGRADATION OF THE
DETECTORS, CONSUMPTION OF FUEL.
WHAT WILL LIMIT THE LIFETIME OF
THE SPACECRAFT?
THANK YOU.
>> I CAN TRY.
FIRST ABOUT THE ORBIT, THE
ALTITUDE IS FAIRLY STANDARD FOR
THE LOWER EARTH ORBIT
ENVIRONMENT.
THE INCLINATION IS IMPORTANT TO
US.
THAT'S KIND OF THE BEST ORBIT
THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY SHOOT FOR
IN TERMS OF THE BACKGROUND FROM
CHARGED PARTICLES.
I FORGOT THE OTHER QUESTION.
OH, THE LIFETIME.
IN PRINCIPLE, THEY ARE
NON-CONSUMABLES.
ANOTHER HARD LIMIT.
THE DETECTORS ARE SEALED.
WE EXPECT DETECTORS NOT TO
CHANGE.
MEASURABLY WITH TIME.
WE'RE AIMING FOR PRIME PHASE
EFFORT MISSION -- OF THE
MISSION.
>> WE HAVE A NASA REQUIREMENT TO
DEAL WITHIN 25 YEARS.
THIS IS REALLY THE HIGHEST ORBIT
WE CAN PUT IT IN AND STILL MEET
THAT REQUIREMENT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE PREDICTING 18
YEARS.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU.
WE WILL START TAKING SOCIAL
MEDIA QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, QUESTIONS FROM THE PHONE
ARE STILL WELCOME.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE THOSE.
FIRST UP, THIS QUESTION IS FOR
McKENZIE.
THE QUESTION FROM TWITTER.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
THAT BALL FACED IN INTEGRATING
THE COMPONENTS OF IXPE TO THE
BUS?
>> I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
WE HAD IS WAS THE ALIGNMENT OF
THE MMAs AND THE INSTRUMENT.
ACTUALLY, AS THIS DEPLOYED, IT
ACTUALLY SPINED AROUND UNTIL IT
THEN GETS TO ITS FINAL DISTANCE
UP HERE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TESTING THAT
WE HAD TO DO ON THE GROUND TO
ENSURE THAT TWO THINGS THAT WE
WERE ACHIEVING THE FOCAL LENGTH
THAT WAS REQUIRED OF THE FOUR
METERS.
WE HAD TO DO LOT OF ALIGNMENT
THERE.
BUT ALSO, THAT AFTER IT FINISHED
ITS FULL DEPLOYMENT AND WAS UP
HERE THESE WERE IN THE PROPER
LOCATION SO THAT WHEN THE X-RAYS
COME THROUGH, THE MMAs THEY
HIT DOWN HERE OF THE INSTRUMENT.
I THINK THAT WAS THE HARDEST
THING SO FAR.
>> THANK YOU.
ANOTHER QUESTION THIS ONE IS
FROM OUR VIRTUAL NASA SOCIAL.
HOW FAR AWAY ARE THE OBJECTS
THAT IXPE WILL LOOK AT AND IS
ANY OF THEM CLOSE BY?
>> WE'RE GOING TO OBSERVE AN
ENTIRE RANGE OF DIFFERENT
OBJECTS.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN OUR
GALAXIES.
ON TOP OF MY HEAD, I WOULDN'T
KNOW WHICH IS THE CLOSEST OBJECT
WOULD BE.
I'M SURE THEY CAN PULL THAT
INFORMATION OUT.
WE'RE GOING TO OBSERVE HAND FULL
OF OBJECTS AS WELL.
THOSE WILL BE OBJECTS MUCH MORE
FAR AWAY AND MORE VIOLENT.
FOR THEM TO HAVE A SLOT THAT'S
DETECTABLE, IT MEANS THEY ARE
REALLY SPECIAL.
>> GREAT.
FOLLOW-UP ANOTHER SCIENCE
QUESTION.
CHRIS ON TWITTER.
WILL IXPE STUDY THE POLARIZATION
OF RELATIVE JETS OF SUPER
OBJECTS.
I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT
RELATIVISTIC JET IS IN YOUR
ANSWER?
>> SOME OF THE MOST VIOLENT
OBJECTS -- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
MAINLY OBJECTS THAT ARE --
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
THE MAGNETIC FIELD IS SUCH,
SOMETIMES, THEY HAVE JETS.
THE WAY YOU SEE THOSE OBJECTS,
DEPENDS ON THE ORIENTATION OF
THE SOURCE.
THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS
YES.
WE'RE GOING TO AT LEAST TRY AND
STUDY THE OBJECTS.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT'S ONE
OF THOSE SYSTEMS.
IT'S RESOLVED.
WE CAN TRY AND START WITH THE
CORE OF THE SOURCE AND OF THE
JET.
I DON'T THINK IT'S TAKEN FOR
GRANTED.
WE WILL ACTUALLY MEASURE
SOMETHING.
TO THE LEAST WE CAN PUT IT ON
DEGREE OF PRIORITIZATION.
>> I CAN ADD SOMETHING ON THIS.
WE ALSO GOING TO OBSERVE THE
SAME TYPE OF SOURCE.
COUPLE OF THESE WILL BE ALSO IN
OUR --
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
SAME OBJECT, DIFFERENT
ORIENTATION.
>> I REALLY THINK THAT'S MOST
EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THIS
MISSION.
REALLY VIOLENT, EXCITING AND
DYNAMIC THINGS HAPPENING.
WE'RE GETTING QUESTIONS ABOUT
BLACK HOLE.
FOR NOW, IN TERMS OF SOCIAL
MEDIA, TWO QUESTIONS INTO ONE.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD
THE SPACECRAFT?
HOW LONG BEFORE WE GET OUR FIRST
OBSERVATIONS?
>> I'LL TAKE THE FIRST QUESTION.
WE STARTED THE INTEGRATION OF
THE OBSERVATORY BACK IN DECEMBER
OF 2020.
WE ALSO STARTED ACTUALLY CUTTING
CHIPS EARLIER IN 2019.
IT'S BEEN COUPLE OF YEARS.
THE ENTIRE OBSERVATORY
INTEGRATION AND TEST PHASE WAS
REALLY ABOUT 8 OR 9 MONTHS FROM
START TO FINISH.
IT'S BEEN COUPLE OF YEARS FOR
THE WHOLE THING SINCE WE STARTED
CUTTING THE FIRST CHIPS OF THE
STRUCTURE.
AS FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, I'LL
HAND THAT OFF TO BRIAN.
>> AS LUCA MENTIONED, FIRST
OBSERVATION IS GOING TO BE IN
OUR SCIENCE PROGRAM.
WE POINTED A FEW SOURCES JUST TO
CHECK THE SYSTEM OUT DURING THE
COMMISSIONING.
IN THE SCIENCE PHASE, OUR FIRST
REAL TARGET IS CASSA.
WE HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS OF
OBSERVATION.
WE'LL BE GETTING DATA DOWN ALL
THE TIME.
WE EXPECT TO HAVE RESULTS VERY
QUICKLY FROM THAT SOURCE.
I SHOULD SAY THERE'S A MONTH OF
COMMISSIONING.
THAT WILL BE EARLY JANUARY WHERE
WE WOULD START.
>> GREAT.
CONTINUING WITH OUR SCIENCE
QUESTIONS.
HOW IS WHAT IXPE LOOKS AT, HOW
ITS SCIENCE DIFFERENCE FROM THE
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE WHICH
IS LAUNCHING LATER IN DECEMBER?
>> THAT'S A VERY HARD QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A DIFFERENT
WAVELENGTH.
IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF
PROGRAM.
WE'RE GOING TO OBSERVE FEWER
SOURCES.
WASN'T OF THE KEYS HERE IS WHAT
BRIAN SAID, TO MEASURE
PRIORITIZATION, WE NEED VERY
LONG INTEGRATION TIMES.
THE WAY IXPE WORK IN THE TWO
YEARS OF THE MISSION, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO DO ANY LARGE SCALE
CAPITAL TYPE SCIENCE.
OF COURSE, IN A DIFFERENT
WAVELENGTH.
>> I THINK WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT
WAVELENGTH.
JUST SPEAKING IN GENERALIZED
TERMS, LOOKING AT THE EARLY
PHASES, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE
DRAMATICS.
>> THAT'S A NICE COMPARISON.
I LIKE THE DIFFERENT TIME FRAMES
THAT EACH ONE IS LOOKING AT.
I WILL ADD FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,
NASA DOES MISSIONS OF ALL SHAPES
AND SIZES, THEY ARE ALL
IMPORTANT FOR THE PORTFOLIO.
ONE OF THE THINGS IXPE DOING IS
REALLY TARGETING RESEARCH FOCUS.
THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
SEPARATES THESE.
LET'S GO BACK TO THOSE BLACK
HOLES.
WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IN
GENERAL ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE
BLACK HOLES?
WE TALKED ABOUT THE SPIN BUT ARE
THERE OTHER THINGS WE CAN LEARN?
I KNOW WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT
THE BLACK HOLE, THE CENTER OF
OUR GALAXY.
MAY BE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> WE HAVE SUPER MASSIVE BLACK
HOLE.
THAT BLACK HOLE IS VERY
INACTIVE, WHICH IS A BIT OF A
PUZZLE.
WE'D EXPECT IT TO BE MUCH MORE
BRIGHTER THAN IT CURRENTLY IS.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT'S A
MILLION MATTERS.
WE EXPECT IT WAS MUCH BRIGHTER
IN THE RECENT PAST.
IXPE IS GOING TO MAKE A
MEASUREMENT THAT CAN PROVE THAT.
THERE ARE MOLECULAR CLOUDS THAT
ARE A FEW HUNDRED YEARS OF LIGHT
TRAVEL TIME AWAY FROM THE
GALACTIC CENTER.
WE SEE THOSE CLOUDS GLOWING IN
X-RAYS.
ALTHOUGH THERE'S NO SOURCE OF
X-RAYS WITHIN THEM.
WE SUSPECT THOSE X-RAYS ARE
REFLECTIVE OF THE SAGITTARIUS,
THE BLACK HOLE A FEW HUNDRED
YEARS AGO.
THAT'S THE LIGHT TRAVEL TIME TO
THESE CLOUDS.
WE MAKE THIS MEASUREMENT WITH
IXPE.
BECAUSE OF THE GEOMETRY, THE
X-RAYS WILL REFLECT 90 DEGREES
TO GET TO US APPROXIMATELY.
THAT PRODUCES HIGHLY POLARIZED
RADIATION.
BY MEASURING WHETHER THESE
MISSIONS FROM THE MOLECULAR
CLOUDS ARE POLARIZED OR NOT, WE
CAN TELL WHERE THE EMISSION, THE
DRIVING SOURCE CAME FROM.
THE ANKLE OF THE POLARIZATION
WILL HELP US POINT BACK TO THE
DIRECTION OF THE SOURCE.
WE'RE HOPING WITH THAT TO SHOW
WITHIN THE RECENT PAST, WHICH I
FIND QUITE REMARKABLE, THIS
ENORMOUS BLACK HOLE WAS MAY BE A
MILLION TIMES BRIGHTER.
>> IF I CAN ADD SOMETHING.
ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
THESE EXTREME SOURCES IS THAT --
THEY ARE UNDER CONDITIONS THAT
ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO
REPRODUCE IN OUR LABS.
SOME OF THEM HAD A MAGNETIC
FIELD THAT'S MILLIONS OF TIMES
HIGHER.
FOR BLACK HOLES, THE MAIN POINT
IS THE SPACE TIME AROUND THE
BLACK HOLE IS CURVED AND THE
SOURCE IN WHAT'S CALLED A STRONG
FIELD REGIME.
THIS IS INTERESTING PART BECAUSE
GENERAL ACTIVITY, VERY SPECIFIC
PREDICTION AS TO HOW THE
POSITION BEHAVES.
FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE MOST,
YOU WOULD EXPECT THE ANGLE TO
FLIP AT SOME POINT.
IF WE WERE AND TO MEASURE THIS,
THAT WILL BE A CONFIRMATION OF A
GENERAL ACTIVITY OF THAT.
THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN QUESTION FROM
SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT X-RAYS IN
GENERAL.
LUCA HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW
AN X-RAY SOURCE COMES FROM ALL
THESE INTERESTING THINGS.
WHAT ARE THOSE X-RAYS?
ARE THEY THE SAME THING AS WHAT
WE SEE IN A MEDICAL SCAN?
ARE THEY THE SAME KIND OF X-RAY?
>> YES.
X-RAYS ARE LIGHT.
THERE'S AN ENTIRE CONTINUUM IN
THE SPECTRUM THAT GOES FROM --
THE X-RAYS ARE THESE REGIONS
SITTING IN BETWEEN ULTRAVIOLETS
AND GAMMA RAYS.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN A VERY
SPECIFIC BEND OF X-RAYS.
WHICH IS IN TECHNICAL TERM, IT'S
A 2 TO 8 ROUGHLY.
THAT WILL BE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN
THE PARTICULAR ENERGIES THAT
WOULD GET IN MEDICAL FACILITIES.
IT'S EFFECTIVELY THE SAME THING.
YES.
>> THANK YOU.
WE HAVE ONE MORE SOCIAL MEDIA
QUESTION.
AGAIN, ANYBODY ON THE PHONE OR
IN THE ROOM WANTS TO QUESTION,
RAISE YOUR HAND.
OTHERWISE, THIS MAY BE OUR LAST
ONE.
THIS QUESTION IS ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN POLARIZED LIGHT
TRAVELS THROUGH SPACE, SPECIFIC
ABOUT MAGNETIC FIELD.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT
WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE POLARIZED
X-RAYS TO UNDERSTAND BETTER
ABOUT THE MAGNETIC FIELDS IN
SPACE?
>> THESE -- THIS IS A VERY GOOD
ONE.
THE ANSWER AGAIN IS, I THINK,
POSSIBLY YES.
WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE
MAGNETIC FIELD.
WE DON'T KNOW VERY PRECISELY THE
MAGNITUDE AND SCALE OF THE
MAGNETIC FIELDS.
YES, THE POLARIZATION MIGHT BE
AFFECTED.
THERE MIGHT BE EXOTIC PROCESSES
AT PLAY.
THERE MIGHT BE PARTICLES THAT WE
HAVEN'T DISCOVERED YET THAT
MIGHT AFFECT THE POLARIZATION.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE THINKING
ABOUT THESE AND TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE FROM
THE MEASUREMENT OF
PRIORITIZATION FROM DISTANT
SOURCE.
THAT'S ANOTHER VERY EXCITING
SCIENCE TOPIC.
>> A PHENOMENON CALLED
ELECTRODYNAMICS.
THIS IS VERY BIZARRE PHENOMENON.
IT'S CALLED VACUUM.
THIS TAKES PLACE IN EXTREMELY
STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS.
WE HAVE THESE SOURCES CALLED
MAGNATONS THAT HAVE MILLION
TIMES THE MAGNETIC FIELD.
WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE
THIS PHENOMENON IN THESE
SOURCES.
>> WELL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY SO
MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
THOSE ARE THE ENDS OF OUR
QUESTIONS FOR TODAY.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT IXPE, PLEASE GO TO
NASA.COM/IXPE.
WE ARE LAUNCHING 1:00 A.M. EAST
COAST TIME ON DECEMBER 9th.
BROADCAST STARTS AT 12:30.
YOU CAN WATCH THAT AT
NASA.GOV/LIVE.
GO IXPE.
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT WE FIND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY.