22 May 2024
The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) General Observer (GO) program solicits proposals for proposals for observations with IXPE or for theoretical investigations that will advance the IXPE mission science return in any area of astrophysics (not constrained to address IXPE’s prime science areas).
The IXPE mission has established joint observing programs with NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Neil Gehrels Swift observatory (Swift) to allow IXPE GO proposers to request coordinated observations of their proposed IXPE targets. For Cycle 2, a total of up to 300 ks of NICER observing time, of up to 500 ks of NuSTAR observing time, and of up to 200 ks of Neil Gehrels Swift observing time is available through this program. Proposals requesting joint observations must clearly justify the need for the NICER, NuSTAR and/or Swift observations to accomplish the science goals of the investigation.
This amendment makes two significant changes to D.16 IXPE GO. First, an update to the ToO policy allowing for GO requests of ToO with unknown coordinates in Section 1.3.2 and Section 1.3.4, which has been renamed; second, information on new joint programs with Swift and NuSTAR has been added in Sections 1.1 and 1.3. Other small updates have also been made to Sections 1.3.5, 2.1 and 2.3. New text is in bold and deleted text is struck through. The due date remains unchanged: Phase-1 proposals (via ARK RPS) are due 29 August 2024.
Technical questions concerning D.16 IXPE GO may be directed to Kavitha Arur at kavitha.arur@nasa.gov. Programmatic information may be obtained from Hashima Hasan at hhasan@nasa.gov.