National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) observes white dwarf system EX Hydrae using IXPE

Key facts

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) used the Imaging X-ray Polarisation Explorer (IXPE) to study the white dwarf system EX Hydrae as a structured system with shape and depth.
• EX Hydrae is a binary system located approximately 200 light years away in the constellation Hydra, consisting of a compact white dwarf and a companion star.
• The system is classified as an intermediate polar, where the magnetic field is strong enough to redirect gas along magnetic field lines toward the star’s surface but not strong enough to fully dominate the accretion disc.
• IXPE measures the polarisation of X-ray light, which provides data on the direction and structure of light movement and scattering.
• Observations revealed a column of hot gas rising almost 2,000 miles above the surface of the white dwarf.
• The data suggested that X-rays bounce off the white dwarf’s surface before reaching Earth, a detail made visible through polarisation.
• The study was led by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and published in the Astrophysical Journal.
• IXPE is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, designed to collect data on objects ranging from neutron stars to black holes.