Kavli Affiliate: Herman L. Marshall
| First 5 Authors: Niccolò Di Lalla, Nicola Omodei, Niccolò Bucciantini, Jack T. Dinsmore, Nicolò Cibrario
| Summary:
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 October 2023, with a total livetime of approximately 837 ks. Using
different analysis methods, such as a space-integrated study of the entire
region of the PWN and a space-resolved polarization map, we detect significant
polarization from the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) at the center of the SNR, with
an average polarization degree of ~10% oriented at ~33{deg} (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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