2023NatAs...7.1245D

Query : 2023NatAs...7.1245D

2023NatAs...7.1245D - Nature Astronomy, 7, 1245-1258 (2023/October-0)

Discovery of X-ray polarization angle rotation in the jet from blazar Mrk 421.

DI GESU L., MARSHALL H.L., EHLERT S.R., KIM D.E., DONNARUMMA I., TAVECCHIO F., LIODAKIS I., KIEHLMANN S., AGUDO I., JORSTAD S.G., MULERI F., MARSCHER A.P., PUCCETTI S., MIDDEI R., PERRI M., PACCIANI L., NEGRO M., ROMANI R.W., DI MARCO A., BLINOV D., BOURBAH I.G., KONTOPODIS E., MANDARAKAS N., ROMANOPOULOS S., SKALIDIS R., VERVELAKI A., CASADIO C., ESCUDERO J., MYSERLIS I., GURWELL M.A., RAO R., KEATING G.K., KOUCH P.M., LINDFORS E., ACEITUNO F.J., BERNARDOS M.I., BONNOLI G., CASANOVA V., GARCIA-COMAS M., AGIS-GONZALEZ B., HUSILLOS C., MARCHINI A., SOTA A., IMAZAWA R., SASADA M., FUKAZAWA Y., KAWABATA K.S., UEMURA M., MIZUNO T., NAKAOKA T., AKITAYA H., SAVCHENKO S.S., VASILYEV A.A., GOMEZ J.L., ANTONELLI L.A., BARNOUIN T., BONINO R., CAVAZZUTI E., COSTAMANTE L., CHEN C.-T., CIBRARIO N., DE ROSA A., DI PIERRO F., ERRANDO M., KAARET P., KARAS V., KRAWCZYNSKI H., LISALDA L., MADEJSKI G., MALACARIA C., MARIN F., MARINUCCI A., MASSARO F., MATT G., MITSUISHI I., O'DELL S.L., PAGGI A., PEIRSON A.L., PETRUCCI P.-O., RAMSEY B.D., TENNANT A.F., WU K., BACHETTI M., BALDINI L., BAUMGARTNER W.H., BELLAZZINI R., BIANCHI S., BONGIORNO S.D., BREZ A., BUCCIANTINI N., CAPITANIO F., CASTELLANO S., CIPRINI S., COSTA E., DEL MONTE E., DI LALLA N., DOROSHENKO V., DOVCIAK M., ENOTO T., EVANGELISTA Y., FABIANI S., FERRAZZOLI R., GARCIA J.A., GUNJI S., HAYASHIDA K., HEYL J., IWAKIRI W., KISLAT F., KITAGUCHI T., KOLODZIEJCZAK J.J., LA MONACA F., LATRONICO L., MALDERA S., MANFREDA A., NG C.-Y., OMODEI N., OPPEDISANO C., PAPITTO A., PAVLOV G.G., PESCE-ROLLINS M., PILIA M., POSSENTI A., POUTANEN J., RANKIN J., RATHEESH A., ROBERTS O.J., SGRO C., SLANE P., SOFFITTA P., SPANDRE G., SWARTZ D.A., TAMAGAWA T., TAVERNA R., TAWARA Y., THOMAS N.E., TOMBESI F., TROIS A., TSYGANKOV S.S., TUROLLA R., VINK J., WEISSKOPF M.C., XIE F. and ZANE S.

Abstract (from CDS):

The magnetic-field conditions in astrophysical relativistic jets can be probed by multiwavelength polarimetry, which has been recently extended to X-rays. For example, one can track how the magnetic field changes in the flow of the radiating particles by observing rotations of the electric vector position angle Ψ. Here we report the discovery of a Ψ_X rotation in the X-ray band in the blazar Markarian 421 at an average flux state. Across the 5 days of Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer observations on 4-6 and 7-9 June 2022, Ψ_X rotated in total by ≥360°. Over the two respective date ranges, we find constant, within uncertainties, rotation rates (80 ± 9° per day and 91 ± 8° per day) and polarization degrees (Π_X = 10% ± 1%). Simulations of a random walk of the polarization vector indicate that it is unlikely that such rotation(s) are produced by a stochastic process. The X-ray-emitting site does not completely overlap the radio, infrared and optical emission sites, as no similar rotation of Ψ was observed in quasi-simultaneous data at longer wavelengths. We propose that the observed rotation was caused by a helical magnetic structure in the jet, illuminated in the X-rays by a localized shock propagating along this helix. The optically emitting region probably lies in a sheath surrounding an inner spine where the X-ray radiation is released.

Abstract Copyright: 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Journal keyword(s):

Simbad objects: 6

Full paper

View the references in ADS

Number of rows : 6

N	Identifier	Otype	ICRS (J2000) RA	ICRS (J2000) DEC	Mag U	Mag B	Mag V	Mag R	Sp type	#ref 1850 - 2026	#notes
1	Z 184-50	BLL	11 04 27.3140835504	+38 12 31.798495872		13.50	12.90	8.31	~	2841	1
2	3C 286	Sy1	13 31 08.2883506368	+30 30 32.960091564		17.51	17.25		~	4558	2
3	QSO J1512-0906	Bla	15 12 50.53293048	-09 05 59.8297908		16.74	16.54		~	1409	1
4	Z 225-7	BLL	16 53 52.21668403	+39 45 36.6088754	14.09	14.15	13.29	8.26	~	2304	2
5	EM* MWC 349A	Or*	20 32 45.5291969760	+40 39 36.651807828					~	180	0
6	NAME BL Lac	BLL	22 02 43.2913536816	+42 16 39.979416792		15.66	14.72		~	2397	1

To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:objects in 2023NatAs...7.1245D and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu