IXPE Data Supports 90-Year-Old X-ray Theory

NASA's IXPE spacecraft, launched in 2021, has found evidence supporting a 90-year-old theory about X-ray polarization. The theory predicted that X-rays from extreme cosmic objects like neutron stars and black holes would show a specific wave orientation. IXPE's three telescopes measured this polarization for the first time. Early data from the Crab Nebula matches the old predictions. Scientists need more observations to be certain, but the results are promising. This could improve our understanding of extreme magnetic fields in space. IXPE will study many more objects over the next two years.