First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring

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First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring. / (EHT Collaboration).

In: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 910, No. 1, L12, 01.03.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Author

(EHT Collaboration). / First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring. In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2021 ; Vol. 910, No. 1.

BibTeX

@article{60b5fc0b548a431da4d83a77771488be,

title = "First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring",

abstract = "In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the near-horizon region around the supermassive black hole at the core of the M87 galaxy. These 1.3 mm wavelength observations revealed a compact asymmetric ring-like source morphology. This structure originates from synchrotron emission produced by relativistic plasma located in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. Here we present the corresponding linear-polarimetric EHT images of the center of M87. We find that only a part of the ring is significantly polarized. The resolved fractional linear polarization has a maximum located in the southwest part of the ring, where it rises to the level of ∼15%. The polarization position angles are arranged in a nearly azimuthal pattern. We perform quantitative measurements of relevant polarimetric properties of the compact emission and find evidence for the temporal evolution of the polarized source structure over one week of EHT observations. The details of the polarimetric data reduction and calibration methodology are provided. We carry out the data analysis using multiple independent imaging and modeling techniques, each of which is validated against a suite of synthetic data sets. The gross polarimetric structure and its apparent evolution with time are insensitive to the method used to reconstruct the image. These polarimetric images carry information about the structure of the magnetic fields responsible for the synchrotron emission. Their physical interpretation is discussed in an accompanying publication. ",

keywords = "Polarimetry, Radio interferometry, Very long baseline interferometry, Supermassive black holes, Active galactic nuclei, Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei, Astronomy data modeling, Galaxy accretion disks, Galaxies: individual: M87, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI, FARADAY-ROTATION, VLBI OBSERVATIONS, HIGH-RESOLUTION, BLACK-HOLE, JET, CALIBRATION, BASE, EFFICIENT, GALAXIES",

author = "{(EHT Collaboration)} and Kazunori Akiyama and Algaba, {Juan Carlos} and Antxon Alberdi and Walter Alef and Richard Anantua and Keiichi Asada and Rebecca Azulay and Baczko, {Anne Kathrin} and David Ball and Mislav Balokovi{\'c} and John Barrett and Benson, {Bradford A.} and Dan Bintley and Lindy Blackburn and Raymond Blundell and Wilfred Boland and Bouman, {Katherine L.} and Bower, {Geoffrey C.} and Hope Boyce and Michael Bremer and Brinkerink, {Christiaan D.} and Roger Brissenden and Silke Britzen and Broderick, {Avery E.} and Dominique Broguiere and Thomas Bronzwaer and Byun, {Do Young} and Carlstrom, {John E.} and Andrew Chael and Chan, {Chi Kwan} and Shami Chatterjee and Koushik Chatterjee and Chen, {Ming Tang} and Yongjun Chen and Chesler, {Paul M.} and Ilje Cho and Pierre Christian and Conway, {John E.} and Cordes, {James M.} and Crawford, {Thomas M.} and Crew, {Geoffrey B.} and Alejandro Cruz-Osorio and Yuzhu Cui and Jordy Davelaar and {De Laurentis}, Mariafelicia and Roger Deane and Jessica Dempsey and Gregory Desvignes and Jason Dexter and Svetlana Jorstad",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society..",

year = "2021",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d",

language = "English",

volume = "910",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring

AU - (EHT Collaboration)

AU - Akiyama, Kazunori

AU - Algaba, Juan Carlos

AU - Alberdi, Antxon

AU - Alef, Walter

AU - Anantua, Richard

AU - Asada, Keiichi

AU - Azulay, Rebecca

AU - Baczko, Anne Kathrin

AU - Ball, David

AU - Baloković, Mislav

AU - Barrett, John

AU - Benson, Bradford A.

AU - Bintley, Dan

AU - Blackburn, Lindy

AU - Blundell, Raymond

AU - Boland, Wilfred

AU - Bouman, Katherine L.

AU - Bower, Geoffrey C.

AU - Boyce, Hope

AU - Bremer, Michael

AU - Brinkerink, Christiaan D.

AU - Brissenden, Roger

AU - Britzen, Silke

AU - Broderick, Avery E.

AU - Broguiere, Dominique

AU - Bronzwaer, Thomas

AU - Byun, Do Young

AU - Carlstrom, John E.

AU - Chael, Andrew

AU - Chan, Chi Kwan

AU - Chatterjee, Shami

AU - Chatterjee, Koushik

AU - Chen, Ming Tang

AU - Chen, Yongjun

AU - Chesler, Paul M.

AU - Cho, Ilje

AU - Christian, Pierre

AU - Conway, John E.

AU - Cordes, James M.

AU - Crawford, Thomas M.

AU - Crew, Geoffrey B.

AU - Cruz-Osorio, Alejandro

AU - Cui, Yuzhu

AU - Davelaar, Jordy

AU - De Laurentis, Mariafelicia

AU - Deane, Roger

AU - Dempsey, Jessica

AU - Desvignes, Gregory

AU - Dexter, Jason

AU - Jorstad, Svetlana

PY - 2021/3/1

Y1 - 2021/3/1

N2 - In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the near-horizon region around the supermassive black hole at the core of the M87 galaxy. These 1.3 mm wavelength observations revealed a compact asymmetric ring-like source morphology. This structure originates from synchrotron emission produced by relativistic plasma located in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. Here we present the corresponding linear-polarimetric EHT images of the center of M87. We find that only a part of the ring is significantly polarized. The resolved fractional linear polarization has a maximum located in the southwest part of the ring, where it rises to the level of ∼15%. The polarization position angles are arranged in a nearly azimuthal pattern. We perform quantitative measurements of relevant polarimetric properties of the compact emission and find evidence for the temporal evolution of the polarized source structure over one week of EHT observations. The details of the polarimetric data reduction and calibration methodology are provided. We carry out the data analysis using multiple independent imaging and modeling techniques, each of which is validated against a suite of synthetic data sets. The gross polarimetric structure and its apparent evolution with time are insensitive to the method used to reconstruct the image. These polarimetric images carry information about the structure of the magnetic fields responsible for the synchrotron emission. Their physical interpretation is discussed in an accompanying publication.

AB - In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the near-horizon region around the supermassive black hole at the core of the M87 galaxy. These 1.3 mm wavelength observations revealed a compact asymmetric ring-like source morphology. This structure originates from synchrotron emission produced by relativistic plasma located in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. Here we present the corresponding linear-polarimetric EHT images of the center of M87. We find that only a part of the ring is significantly polarized. The resolved fractional linear polarization has a maximum located in the southwest part of the ring, where it rises to the level of ∼15%. The polarization position angles are arranged in a nearly azimuthal pattern. We perform quantitative measurements of relevant polarimetric properties of the compact emission and find evidence for the temporal evolution of the polarized source structure over one week of EHT observations. The details of the polarimetric data reduction and calibration methodology are provided. We carry out the data analysis using multiple independent imaging and modeling techniques, each of which is validated against a suite of synthetic data sets. The gross polarimetric structure and its apparent evolution with time are insensitive to the method used to reconstruct the image. These polarimetric images carry information about the structure of the magnetic fields responsible for the synchrotron emission. Their physical interpretation is discussed in an accompanying publication.

KW - Polarimetry

KW - Radio interferometry

KW - Very long baseline interferometry

KW - Supermassive black holes

KW - Active galactic nuclei

KW - Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei

KW - Astronomy data modeling

KW - Galaxy accretion disks

KW - Galaxies: individual: M87

KW - ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

KW - FARADAY-ROTATION

KW - VLBI OBSERVATIONS

KW - HIGH-RESOLUTION

KW - BLACK-HOLE

KW - JET

KW - CALIBRATION

KW - BASE

KW - EFFICIENT

KW - GALAXIES

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103624099&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/856f16fd-4a72-30ea-a3c7-d0da39169582/

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/abe71d

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85103624099

VL - 910

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

SN - 2041-8205

IS - 1

M1 - L12

ER -

ID: 86543832