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First Sagittarius A* 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. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.
  3. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.
  4. Malaya U.
  5. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Texas U., San Antonio
  6. Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  7. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Valencia U.; Valencia U., IFIC
  8. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Chalmers U. Tech.
  9. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.
  10. Yale Ctr. Astron. Astrophys.
  11. Concepcion U.
  12. MIT
  13. Illinois U., Urbana
  14. Fermilab; Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.
  15. Subaru Telescope
  16. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.
  17. Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.
  18. Caltech
  19. Gemini Observ., Hilo; Hawaii U.
  20. McGill U.; McGill U., Montreal (main)
  21. IRAM, St. Martin d'Heres
  22. Nijmegen U., IMAPP
  23. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Waterloo U.; Waterloo U., IQC
  24. Massachusetts U., Amherst
  25. KASI, DaeJeon; KAIST, Taejon
  26. Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U.; DESY; Chicago U., EFI
  27. Chalmers U. Tech.
  28. Princeton U.
  29. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Clemson U.; LSST, Tucson; Arizona U.
  30. Cornell U., Radio. Space Res. Ctr.
  31. Gemini Observ., Hilo
  32. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Beijing Observ.
  33. KASI, DaeJeon
  34. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; KASI, DaeJeon; Yonsei U.
  35. Fairfield U.
  36. Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.
  37. Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Chicago U., KICP
  38. UNAM, Inst. Astron.; Frankfurt U.
  39. Unlisted, CN; Shanghai Jiao Tong U.
  40. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Columbia U., Astron. Astrophys.; CCA, New York
  41. Frankfurt U.; Naples U.; INFN, Naples
  42. U. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Sch. Phys.; Pretoria U.; Rhodes U.
  43. Subaru Telescope; ASTRON, Dwingeloo
  44. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; LESIA, Meudon
  45. Colorado U.
  46. Shanghai Jiao Tong U.
  47. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; IRAM, St. Martin d'Heres
  48. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; NAOC, Beijing
  49. Las Cumbres Observ.; UC, Santa Barbara
  50. NRAO, Charlottesville
  51. MIT; Unlisted, US, MA
  52. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Frankfurt U.; Wurzburg U.
  53. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Harvard U.
  54. Illinois U., Urbana; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.
  55. Sao Paulo U.; Sao Paulo, Inst. Astron. Geofis.; Cagliari U.; Cagliari Observ.; INFN, Cagliari
  56. Southern Denmark U., CP3-Origins
  57. INAOE, Puebla; Conacyt, Mexico
  58. Shanghai, Astron. Observ.
  59. KASI, DaeJeon; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan
  60. Groningen U.
  61. Peking U.; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA
  62. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Subaru Telescope
  63. KASI, DaeJeon; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo U.
  64. INAOE, Puebla
  65. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Inst. Statistical Math.; Tokyo U., IPMU
  66. NRAO, Charlottesville; Leiden Observ.
  67. Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Baltimore, Space Telescope Sci.
  68. XIA LLC; Integrated Applied Physics, Waltham
  69. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP
  70. Boston U.
  71. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Waterloo U.
  72. Tokyo U., ICRR
  73. ASTRON, Dwingeloo
  74. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Kyungpook Natl. U.
  75. KAIST, Taejon
  76. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Kogakuin U.
  77. Frankfurt U.
  78. KASI, DaeJeon; Tokyo U.
  79. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Niigata U.
  80. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Taiwan, Natl. Normal U.
  81. NOIRLab
  82. Hong Kong, Chinese U.
  83. Nanjing U., Dept. Astron.; Nanjing U.
  84. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; Bologna, Ist. Radioastronomia
  85. Bologna, Ist. Radioastronomia
  86. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.
  87. UNAM, Morelia, Inst. Radioastron. Astrophys.
  88. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Nanjing U. Sci. Tech.
  89. Yunnan Observ.; NAOC, Beijing
  90. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Bologna, Ist. Radioastronomia
  91. U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA
  92. Valencia U.; Valencia U., IFIC
  93. Baltimore, Space Telescope Sci.; Princeton U., Astrophys. Sci. Dept.
  94. Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; ESTEC, Noordwijk
  95. Frankfurt U.; Shanghai Jiao Tong U.; Shanghai Jiaotong U.
  96. MIT; Frankfurt U.; KASI, DaeJeon
  97. Nijmegen U., IMAPP; U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA
  98. IRAM, Granada
  99. Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.
  100. Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.
  101. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Hachinohe Inst. Tech.
  102. Frankfurt U.; RCAAM, Academy of Athens
  103. Villanova U.
  104. Washington U., St. Louis
  105. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; INAOE, Puebla
  106. Georgia Tech
  107. Kyung Hee U.
  108. Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Canadian Inst. Theor. Astrophys.; U. Toronto, Dunlap Inst. Astron. Astrophys.; Canadian Inst. Advanced Res.
  109. UC, Berkeley
  110. Frankfurt U.; U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA
  111. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; IESL, Heraklion
  112. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.
  113. Concepcion U.; Turku U.; Aalto U.
  114. Subaru Telescope; Gemini Observ., Hilo
  115. Frankfurt U.; Frankfurt U., FIAS; Trinity Coll., Dublin
  116. Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Canadian Inst. Theor. Astrophys.; U. Toronto, Dunlap Inst. Astron. Astrophys.; Toronto U.
  117. Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP
  118. KASI, DaeJeon; Tokyo Inst. Tech.; Hiroshima U.
  119. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Aalto U.
  120. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA
  121. KASI, DaeJeon; KAIST, Taejon; Yonsei U.
  122. Central Lancashire U.
  123. Peking U.
  124. Lethbridge U.
  125. Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Leiden Observ.; NWO, The Hague
  126. Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; IRAM, Granada
  127. Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.
  128. Seoul Natl. U., Dept. Phys. Astron.
  129. Leiden Observ.; ASTRON, Dwingeloo; New Mexico U.
  130. Brandeis U.
  131. Tuorla Observ.
  132. Princeton U.; Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study
  133. Hua-Zhong U. Sci. Tech.
  134. Frankfurt U.; Mullard Space Sci. Lab.
  135. Fudan U.
  136. Hefei, CUST
  137. Michigan State U.
+ Show Author Affiliations
Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope observed the horizon-scale synchrotron emission region around the Galactic center supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), in 2017. These observations revealed a bright, thick ring morphology with a diameter of 51.8 ± 2.3 μas and modest azimuthal brightness asymmetry, consistent with the expected appearance of a black hole with mass M ≈ 4 × 106 M ⊙. From these observations, we present the first resolved linear and circular polarimetric images of Sgr A*. The linear polarization images demonstrate that the emission ring is highly polarized, exhibiting a prominent spiral electric vector polarization angle pattern with a peak fractional polarization of ∼40% in the western portion of the ring. The circular polarization images feature a modestly (∼5%–10%) polarized dipole structure along the emission ring, with negative circular polarization in the western region and positive circular polarization in the eastern region, although our methods exhibit stronger disagreement than for linear polarization. We analyze the data using multiple independent imaging and modeling methods, each of which is validated using a standardized suite of synthetic data sets. While the detailed spatial distribution of the linear polarization along the ring remains uncertain owing to the intrinsic variability of the source, the spiraling polarization structure is robust to methodological choices. The degree and orientation of the linear polarization provide stringent constraints for the black hole and its surrounding magnetic fields, which we discuss in an accompanying publication.
Research Organization:
ASTRON, Dwingeloo; Aalto U.; Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Arizona U.; Arizona U., Astron. Dept. - Steward Observ.; Baltimore, Space Telescope Sci.; Beijing Observ.; Bologna, Ist. Radioastronomia; Bonn, Max Planck Inst., Radioastron.; Boston U.; Brandeis U.; CCA, New York; Cagliari Observ.; Cagliari U.; Caltech; Canadian Inst. Advanced Res.; Canadian Inst. Theor. Astrophys.; Central Lancashire U.; Chalmers U. Tech.; Chicago U.; Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.; Chicago U., EFI; Chicago U., KICP; Clemson U.; Colorado U.; Columbia U., Astron. Astrophys.; Conacyt, Mexico; Concepcion U.; Cornell U., Radio. Space Res. Ctr.; DESY; ESTEC, Noordwijk; Fairfield U.; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Frankfurt U.; Frankfurt U., FIAS; Fudan U.; Gemini Observ., Hilo; Georgia Tech; Granada U., Theor. Phys. Astrophys.; Groningen U.; Hachinohe Inst. Tech.; Harvard U.; Harvard U. (main); Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Hawaii U.; Hefei, CUST; Hiroshima U.; Hong Kong, Chinese U.; Hua-Zhong U. Sci. Tech.; IESL, Heraklion; INAOE, Puebla; INFN, Cagliari; INFN, Naples; IRAM, Granada; IRAM, St. Martin d'Heres; Illinois U., Urbana; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.; Integrated Applied Physics, Waltham; KAIST, Taejon; KASI, DaeJeon; Kogakuin U.; Kyung Hee U.; Kyungpook Natl. U.; LESIA, Meudon; LSST, Tucson; Las Cumbres Observ.; Leiden Observ.; Lethbridge U.; MIT; Malaya U.; Massachusetts U., Amherst; McGill U.; McGill U., Montreal (main); Michigan State U.; Mullard Space Sci. Lab.; NAOC, Beijing; NOIRLab; NRAO, Charlottesville; NWO, The Hague; Nanjing U.; Nanjing U. Sci. Tech.; Nanjing U., Dept. Astron.; Naples U.; Natl. Astron. Observ. of Japan; New Mexico U.; Niigata U.; Nijmegen U., IMAPP; Peking U.; Peking U., Beijing, KIAA; Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Pretoria U.; Princeton U.; Princeton U., Astrophys. Sci. Dept.; Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study; RCAAM, Academy of Athens; Rhodes U.; Sao Paulo U.; Sao Paulo, Inst. Astron. Geofis.; Seoul Natl. U., Dept. Phys. Astron.; Shanghai Jiao Tong U.; Shanghai Jiaotong U.; Shanghai, Astron. Observ.; Southern Denmark U., CP3-Origins; Subaru Telescope; Taiwan, Natl. Normal U.; Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.; Texas U., San Antonio; Tokyo Inst. Tech.; Tokyo U.; Tokyo U., ICRR; Tokyo U., IPMU; Tokyo, Grad. U. Adv. Stud.; Tokyo, Inst. Statistical Math.; Toronto U.; Trinity Coll., Dublin; Tuorla Observ.; Turku U.; U. Amsterdam, GRAPPA; U. Toronto, Dunlap Inst. Astron. Astrophys.; U. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Sch. Phys.; UC, Berkeley; UC, Santa Barbara; UNAM, Inst. Astron.; UNAM, Morelia, Inst. Radioastron. Astrophys.; Unlisted, CN; Unlisted, US, MA; Valencia U.; Valencia U., IFIC; Villanova U.; Washington U., St. Louis; Waterloo U.; Waterloo U., IQC; Wurzburg U.; XIA LLC; Yale Ctr. Astron. Astrophys.; Yonsei U.; Yunnan Observ.
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy
Grant/Contract Number:
89243024CSC000002; AC02-07CH11359
OSTI ID:
2468663
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-24-0723-PPD; oai:inspirehep.net:2796792
Journal Information:
Astrophys.J.Lett., Journal Name: Astrophys.J.Lett. Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 964
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
black holes
galactic center
polarimetry
radio interferometry
supermassive black holes
very long baseline interferometry