DISCOVERY OF POLARIZED LINE EMISSION IN SN 1006

Journal Article · Thu Dec 10 04:00:00 EST 2015 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/815/1/L9· OSTI ID:22518663

Sparks, W. B.; Pringle, J. E.; Long, K. S.; Cracraft, M. ^[1]

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1. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

Laming predicted that the narrow Balmer line core of the ∼3000 km s{sup −1} shock in the SN 1006 remnant would be significantly polarized due to electron and proton impact polarization. Here, based on deep spectrally resolved polarimetry obtained with the European Southern Observatory (ESO)’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), we report the discovery of polarized line emission with a polarization degree of 1.3% and position angle orthogonal to the SNR filament. Correcting for an unpolarized broad line component, the implied narrow line polarization is ≈2.0%, close to the predictions of Laming. The predicted polarization is primarily sensitive to shock velocity and post-shock temperature equilibration. By measuring polarization for the SN 1006 remnant, we validate and enable a new diagnostic that has important applications in a wide variety of astrophysical situations, such as shocks, intense radiation fields, high energy particle streams, and conductive interfaces.

• OSTI ID: 22518663
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 815; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS
BALMER LINES
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC PROTONS
FILAMENTS
INTERFACES
POLARIMETRY
POLARIZATION
STREAMS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SUPERNOVAE
TELESCOPES
VELOCITY