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Sciences and Exploration Directorate
Under Study

LargE Area burst Polarimeter (LEAP)

Mounted on the International Space Station, LEAP would study the energetic jets launched during the explosive death of a massive star, or the merger of compact objects such as neutron stars. LEAP's measurements of polarization in gamma-ray bursts could distinguish between competing theories for the nature of the jets, which move out at close to the speed of light. LEAP would complement NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), scheduled to launch in 2021.

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Key Staffs
  • Science Collaborator
  • Principal Investigator
  • Co Investigator
  • Co Investigator

Mounted on the International Space Station, LEAP would study the energetic jets launched during the explosive death of a massive star, or the merger of compact objects such as neutron stars. LEAP's measurements of polarization in gamma-ray bursts could distinguish between competing theories for the nature of the jets, which move out at close to the speed of light. LEAP would complement NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), scheduled to launch in 2021.