On-board calibration and first science results on Neutron star sources observed by XSPECT

XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) instrument on-board XPoSat, launched on 1st January 2024, is a soft X-ray spectrometer working in the 0.8-15 keV energy band. The instrument is co-aligned with the primary payload POLIX, which is a medium-energy polarimeter. Utilizing the long stare duration necessary for carrying out polarimetric observations, XSPECT can observe sources for extended periods of time, providing valuable data on their spectro-temporal characteristics and evolution. Moreover, XSPECT can carry out pile-up free observations of bright sources in the soft X-ray band. To meet its scientific objectives, XSPECT was extensively calibrated, both on-ground and in-flight, which will be discussed. In the past one year of operations, XSPECT has observed several Neutron star low mass X-ray binaries as well as X-ray pulsars, with continuous observations for 7–10 days for some of the sources. This provides an unique opportunity to carry out continuous spectro-temporal study of these sources. The first results from these sources and their science implications will be presented.