In-orbit operation and performance of the CubeSat Soft X-ray polarimeter PolarLight |
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| Authors: | Hong Li Xiangyun Long Hua Feng Qiong Wu Jiahui Huang Weichun Jiang Massimo Minuti Dongxin Yang Saverio Citraro Hikmat Nasimi Jiandong Yu Ge Jin Ming Zeng Peng An Luca Baldini Ronaldo Bellazzini Alessandro Brez Luca Latronico Enrico Costa |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;2. Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;3. Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;4. INFN-Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy;5. INFN, Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, I-10125 Torino, Italy;6. School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China;7. North Night Vision Technology Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211106, China;8. IAPS/INAF, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy |
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| Abstract: | PolarLight is a compact soft X-ray polarimeter onboard a CubeSat, which was launched into a low-Earth orbit on October 29, 2018. In March 2019, PolarLight started full operation, and since then, regular observations with the Crab nebula, Sco X-1, and background regions have been conducted. Here we report the operation, calibration, and performance of PolarLight in the orbit. Based on these, we discuss how one can run a low-cost, shared CubeSat for space astronomy, and how CubeSats can play a role in modern space astronomy for technical demonstration, science observations, and student training. |
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| Keywords: | Gas pixel detector Astronomy X-ray Polarimetry CubeSat |
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