This artist’s concept depicts a smaller white dwarf star pulling material from a larger star, right, into an accretion disk. Scientists used NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer) to study a white dwarf star and its X-ray polarization.
MIT/Jose-Luis Olivares
A smaller white dwarf star (left) pulls material from a larger star into a swirling accretion disk in this artist’s concept released Nov. 19, 2025, to illustrate the first use of NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer) to study a white dwarf star.
IXPE spent nearly one week focused on EX Hydrae, a white dwarf star system located in the constellation Hydra, approximately 200 light-years from Earth. Using IXPE’s unique X-ray polarization capability, astronomers examined the star, unlocking the geometry of energetic binary systems.
Read more about EX Hydrae and IXPE.
Image credit: MIT/Jose-Luis Olivares
这幅艺术构想描绘了一颗较小的白矮星从右侧一颗更大的恒星中吸积物质，并形成旋转的吸积盘。科学家利用NASA的成像X射线偏振探测器（IXPE）对白矮星进行了研究，测量其X射线偏振特性。
MIT/Jose-Luis Olivares
在2025年11月19日发布的这幅艺术构想中，左侧一颗较小的白矮星从一颗更大的恒星中牵引物质，形成旋转的吸积盘，用以展示NASA首次利用成像X射线偏振探测器（IXPE）研究白矮星的成果。
IXPE对位于长蛇座、距离地球约200光年的白矮星系统EX Hydrae进行了近一周的持续观测。借助IXPE独特的X射线偏振探测能力，天文学家得以深入研究该恒星系统，并揭示高能双星系统的几何结构。
图片来源: MIT/Jose-LuisOlivares
