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

Journal Article · · Astrophys.J.Lett.
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  1. MIT; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.
  2. Malaya U.
  3. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.
  4. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.
  5. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Flatiron Inst., New York
  6. Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  7. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Valencia U., Astro. Astrophys.; Valencia U., IFIC
  8. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.
  9. Yale Ctr. Astron. Astrophys.; Yale U., Dept. Astron.
  10. MIT
  11. Fermilab; Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.
  12. Subaru Telescope
  13. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Southern Methodist U.
  14. Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.
  15. Leiden Observ.
  16. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Caltech
  17. Taipei, Inst. Astron. Astrophys.; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.
  18. McGill U.
  19. IRAM, St. Martin d'Heres
  20. Nijmegen U., IMAPP
  21. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.
  22. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Waterloo U.; Waterloo U., IQC; Southern Methodist U.
  23. KASI, DaeJeon; KAIST, Taejon
  24. Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U.; Chicago U., EFI
  25. Princeton U., PCTS
  26. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Arizona U.
  27. Cornell U., Radio. Space Res. Ctr.
  28. U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA
  29. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Nanjing U. Sci. Tech.
  30. Fairfield U.
  31. Chalmers U. Tech.
  32. Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Chicago U., KICP
  33. Frankfurt U.
  34. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.
  35. Flatiron Inst., New York; Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Columbia U., Astron. Astrophys.
  36. Frankfurt U.; Naples U.; INFN, Naples; Southern Methodist U.
  37. U. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Sch. Phys.; Pretoria U.; Rhodes U.
  38. LESIA, Meudon
  39. Colorado U.
  40. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; NAOC, Beijing
  41. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Massachusetts U., Boston
  42. NRAO, Charlottesville
  43. MIT; Thinking Machines, Cambridge
  44. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Frankfurt U.
  45. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Harvard U.; Harvard U., Phys. Dept.
  46. Illinois U., Urbana; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.
  47. Waterloo U.; Waterloo U., IQC
  48. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Leiden Observ.
  49. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Southern Denmark U., CP3-Origins
  50. INAOE, Puebla; Conacyt, Mexico
  51. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.
  52. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Unlisted, CN
  53. Groningen U.
  54. Peking U.; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA
  55. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Tokyo U.
  56. INAOE, Puebla
  57. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Inst. Statistical Math.; Tokyo U., IPMU
  58. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Southern Methodist U.
  59. Unlisted, US, MA
  60. Boston U.; St. Petersburg State U.
  61. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Waterloo U.
  62. Tokyo U., ICRR
  63. Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Southern Methodist U.
  64. ASTRON, Dwingeloo
  65. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; KASI, DaeJeon
  66. KASI, DaeJeon
  67. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Caltech
  68. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Kogakuin U.
  69. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo U.
  70. Taiwan, Natl. Normal U.; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.; Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  71. NOAO, Tucson
  72. KASI, DaeJeon; Southern Methodist U.
  73. Caltech; Unlisted, CN
  74. Beijing, Inst. High Energy Phys.
  75. Nanjing U., Dept. Astron.
  76. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.
  77. Bologna Observ.
  78. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.
  79. UNAM, Morelia, Inst. Radioastron. Astrophys.; Mexico U., ICN
  80. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Nanjing U. Sci. Tech.; Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.
  81. Yunnan Observ.; NAOC, Beijing
  82. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Bologna Observ.
  83. Boston U.
  84. Valencia U., Astro. Astrophys.; Valencia U., IFIC
  85. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study
  86. Frankfurt U.; Tsung-Dao Lee Inst., Shanghai; Shanghai Jiaotong U.
  87. MIT; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan
  88. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP
  89. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA; Madrid, CIEMAT
  90. ESTEC, Noordwijk; Chicago U., EFI
  91. Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.
  92. Concepcion U.; Unlisted, CN
  93. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Hachinohe Inst. Tech.
  94. Massachusetts U., Amherst
  95. U. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Sch. Phys.; Rhodes U.; South African Astron. Observ.
  96. Frankfurt U.; Athens U.
  97. Villanova U.; Southern Methodist U.
  98. Washington U., St. Louis
  99. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Southern Methodist U.
  100. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan
  101. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Canadian Inst. Theor. Astrophys.; Toronto U., Astron. Dept.; Canadian Inst. Advanced Res.
  102. UC, Berkeley
  103. U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA; Frankfurt U.
  104. Harvard U., Phys. Dept.
  105. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.
  106. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Taiwan, Natl. Normal U.
  107. Concepcion U.; Southern Methodist U.
  108. Subaru Telescope; Southern Methodist U.
  109. Frankfurt U.; Frankfurt U., FIAS; Trinity Coll., Dublin
  110. Flatiron Inst., New York; Princeton U., Astrophys. Sci. Dept.
  111. IRAM, Granada
  112. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Hiroshima U.
  113. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Aalto U.
  114. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA
  115. KASI, DaeJeon; KAIST, Taejon; Yonsei U.
  116. Caltech
  117. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Leiden Observ.; NWO, The Hague; Southern Methodist U.
  118. Tohoku U., IIAIR; Tohoku U., Astron. Inst.
  119. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; IRAM, Granada
  120. Seoul Natl. U.
  121. ASTRON, Dwingeloo; Leiden Observ.
  122. Central Lancashire U.
  123. Brandeis U.
  124. Illinois U., Urbana
  125. Hua-Zhong U. Sci. Tech.
  126. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Ohio State U.
  127. Frankfurt U.; Mullard Space Sci. Lab.
  128. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Beijing, GUCAS
  129. Hefei, CUST
+ Show Author Affiliations

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.

Research Organization:
Canadian Inst. Theor. Astrophys.; Chalmers U. Tech.; Thinking Machines, Cambridge; Concepcion U.; Bologna Observ.; Beijing, GUCAS; St. Petersburg State U.; Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.; Madrid, CIEMAT; Groningen U.; KASI, DaeJeon; Central Lancashire U.; U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA; Taiwan, Natl. Normal U.; Frankfurt U.; McGill U.; Unlisted, US, MA; Nanjing U., Dept. Astron.; Malaya U.; Pretoria U.; South African Astron. Observ.; Massachusetts U., Amherst; Beijing, Inst. High Energy Phys.; MIT; Ohio State U.; Unlisted, CN; Illinois U., Urbana; LESIA, Meudon; Southern Denmark U., CP3-Origins; Boston U.; Canadian Inst. Advanced Res.; Waterloo U., IQC; Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Mullard Space Sci. Lab.; Rhodes U.; Princeton U., Astrophys. Sci. Dept.; Subaru Telescope; IRAM, Granada; Aalto U.; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Yale Ctr. Astron. Astrophys.; Arizona U.; Valencia U., IFIC; Tsung-Dao Lee Inst., Shanghai; Seoul Natl. U.; Harvard U. (main); Tohoku U., IIAIR; Southern Methodist U.; Harvard U., Phys. Dept.; Chicago U., EFI; Frankfurt U., FIAS; Flatiron Inst., New York; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA; UNAM, Morelia, Inst. Radioastron. Astrophys.; Hefei, CUST; NWO, The Hague; Nanjing U. Sci. Tech.; U. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Sch. Phys.; Tokyo U., ICRR; Kogakuin U.; Tokyo U., IPMU; Valencia U., Astro. Astrophys.; Massachusetts U., Boston; ASTRON, Dwingeloo; Caltech; Tokyo, Inst. Statistical Math.; Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study; Princeton U., PCTS; Waterloo U.; Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Leiden Observ.; NRAO, Charlottesville; Columbia U., Astron. Astrophys.; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.; Trinity Coll., Dublin; Villanova U.; IRAM, St. Martin d'Heres; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; Yunnan Observ.; NAOC, Beijing; Fairfield U.; Naples U.; Conacyt, Mexico; Hiroshima U.; INFN, Naples; UC, Berkeley; Shanghai Jiaotong U.; Yale U., Dept. Astron.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Cornell U., Radio. Space Res. Ctr.; KAIST, Taejon; Yonsei U.; Colorado U.; Chicago U., KICP; Athens U.; Tokyo U.; INAOE, Puebla; Hua-Zhong U. Sci. Tech.; NOAO, Tucson; Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Harvard U.; Peking U.; Washington U., St. Louis; Toronto U., Astron. Dept.; ESTEC, Noordwijk; Taipei, Inst. Astron. Astrophys.; Hachinohe Inst. Tech.; Chicago U.; Brandeis U.; Tohoku U., Astron. Inst.; Mexico U., ICN; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359
OSTI ID:
1869963
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 23154150
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-21-849-PPD; oai:inspirehep.net:1854874; arXiv:2105.01169
Journal Information:
Astrophys.J.Lett., Journal Name: Astrophys.J.Lett. Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 910
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
active galactic nuclei
astronomy data modeling
galaxies
galaxy accretion disks
low-luminosity active galactic nuclei
polarimetry
radio interferometry
supermassive black holes
very long baseline interferometry