Astrophysics Branch
Marshall Space Flight Center's Astrophysics Branch uses space and ground-based observatories to peer back to the earliest epochs of the universe, unravel its mysteries, and study the most violent explosions in our galaxy and beyond. Our goal is to help discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars.
On 2/9/24, Astrophysical Journal published online “First detection of polarization in X-rays for PSR B0540-69 and its nebula” by Fei Xie et al. On 2/21/24, Astrophysical Journal published online “Detection of X-ray polarization from the blazar 1ES 1959+650 with the …
New Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Discovery Papers Published Read More »
Chandra autonomously transitioned to Normal Sun Mode (NSM) during an observation late on Saturday, February 2, 2024. The transition was nominal, science instruments were safed properly, and all telemetry was as expected. The immediate cause of the anomaly was a …
On 1/16/24, NASA posted “NASA’s IXPE Helps Researchers Maximize ‘Microquasar’ Findings” (https://www.nasa.gov/missions/ixpe/nasas-ixpe-helps-researchers-maximize-microquasar-findings/). The posting, coinciding with publication of the Astrophysical Journal Letters article, includes combined images from IXPE, Chandra, XMM-Newton, infrared, and radio observatories. The microquasar in question – Stephenson …
Multiple Marshall Space Flight Center Astrophysics scientists participated in the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Project Scientist, Steven Ehlert (ST12), gave a NASA Hyperwall presentation summarizing IXPE science results obtained thus far and, …
Peter Maksym attended the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society on 1/10/24, to present preliminary results for a collaboration that he is leading that uses Chandra X-ray observations to study a new deep survey field at the North Ecliptic …