Synthesis of the Polarization Properties of 3C10 and 3C58 at 1420 and 2880 Megahertz

Citation

Weiler, Kurt Walter (1970) Synthesis of the Polarization Properties of 3C10 and 3C58 at 1420 and 2880 Megahertz. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/9EJC-C589. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-08212008-112732

Abstract

An earth rotation aperture synthesis technique was combined with the methods of interference polarimetry to study the total intensity and polarization properties of the two radio sources 3C10 and 3C58 with a resolution of approximately one minute of arc at both 1420 and 2880 MHz. These data were then used to calculate the spectral index, rotation measure, intrinsic position angle, and depolarization distributions for the two sources. Source models were constructed and estimates obtained for the internal magnetic field strength and relativistic electron density. The origins of the rotation measure and depolarization were studied and estimates of the internal thermal electron density obtained. Attempts were made to compare the present results with the several theories of supernova remnants. 3C10, the remnant of a Type I supernova, in the total radiation is an annular source with a sharp outer edge and little emission from the central regions. The polarized flux density distribution has a similar, but less well defined, ring shape which exhibits a relatively high degree of polarization in many areas. The intrinsic position angle distribution implies a radial component of the magnetic field. 3C58, also believed to be the remnant of a Type I supernova, has a simple shape in the total radiation, brightest in the center and falling off slowly to zero on the edges with an elongation in the east-west direction. The polarized emission shows considerable structure having many areas with relatively high degrees of polarization. The intrinsic position angle distribution implies the existence of a component of the magnetic field lying parallel to the major east-west axis over the full extent of the source.

Thesis Files