The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer: Making History in High-Energy Astrophysics

Abstract: IXPE represents the momentary culmination of a long history of determined scientists with the goal of introducing two brand-new observables to the usual ones in High Energy Astrophysics. In this talk, I will illustrate how this goal was achieved, starting from the late '80s, progressing to the development of IXPE, which began with the proposal in 2014 and led to the launch on December 9, 2021, amid a pandemic and an American Government shutdown. Over the past two years, IXPE has been actively observing a variety of celestial sources, such as neutron star and black hole binaries, AGNs, magnetars, Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae, just to name a few categories. The main findings for each class of objects will be presented in a cycle of seminars, starting with this one, where I will focus specifically on the scientific results that have been obtained for galactic black hole binaries, AGNs, and magnetars.