ALMA SCIENCE VERIFICATION DATA: MILLIMETER CONTINUUM POLARIMETRY OF THE BRIGHT RADIO QUASAR 3C 286
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa 2-21-1, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
- INAF-Osservatorio di Radioastronomia, Via P. Gobetti, 101 I-40129 Bologna (Italy)
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
- Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura 763 0355, Santiago de Chile (Chile)
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)
We present full-polarization observations of the compact, steep-spectrum radio quasar 3C 286 made with the Atacama Large Millimeter and Submillimeter Array (ALMA) at 1.3 mm. These are the first full-polarization ALMA observations, which were obtained in the framework of Science Verification. A bright core and a south–west component are detected in the total intensity image, similar to previous centimeter images. Polarized emission is also detected toward both components. The fractional polarization of the core is about 17%; this is higher than the fractional polarization at centimeter wavelengths, suggesting that the magnetic field is even more ordered in the millimeter radio core than it is further downstream in the jet. The observed polarization position angle (or electric vector position angle (EVPA)) in the core is ∼39{sup ◦}, which confirms the trend that the EVPA slowly increases from centimeter to millimeter wavelengths. With the aid of multi-frequency VLBI observations, we argue that this EVPA change is associated with the frequency-dependent core position. We also report a serendipitous detection of a sub-mJy source in the field of view, which is likely to be a submillimeter galaxy.
- OSTI ID:
- 22666155
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 824, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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