Malcolm Kennett, Don Melrose, PASA, 15 (2), 211
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Special Research Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia, 2122
kennett@physics.usyd.edu.au, d.melrose@physics.usyd.edu.au
Propagation-induced circular polarization in synchrotron sources
Malcolm Kennett
Don Melrose
Abstract:
The small degree of circular polarization observed in some synchrotron sources has a frequency dependence that is not consistent with simple predictions based on the intrinsic circular polarization of synchrotron emission. The suggestion is explored that the circular polarization arises as a propagation effect within the source. The physical basis of this alternative mechanism is the fact that the natural wave modes of a synchrotron emitting gas are linearly polarized, allowing partial conversion of linear into circular polarization as in a quarter-wave plate. A relativistic rotation measure (RRM) is defined to characterize the magnitude of this effect.
Keywords: Polarization -- Radiative Transfer - Radio continuum: general
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