Imaging Polarimetry of Extended UV Emission in Radio Galaxies Cycle 4; Medium

Computer Science

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Hst Proposal Id #5429 Quasars &Amp, Agn Radio Galaxies

Scientific paper

z > 1 radio galaxies (RGs) have spatially extended, multi-component rest-frame UV continua which are aligned with their associated radio source axes. HST observations of two of the most distant RGs have shown that similar elongated and clumpy structures also exist on angular scales well below 1". Ground-based optical imaging polarimetry of a few radio galaxies has shown that the off- nuclear optical continuum light is highly (~10%) polarized, suggesting that the alignment effect is caused by scattering of anisotropic, nuclear light off thermal electrons or dust along the radio sources axes. We propose to employ the unique capabilities of HST (high res. , UV sensitivity, dark constant sky) to determine the nature of the aligned rest-frame UV continua in RGs using imaging polarimetry. We will observe 1 high-z RG (3C368) through the F555W filter using the WFPC2 in polarimetry mode in order to study the detailed structure of the clumpy off-nuclear scattering medium. This data will allow us 1) to determine the cloud parameters (sizes,distribution,covering fraction)which constrain the energetics of the nuclear source, and with ground-based imaging polarimetry at longer wavelengths, 2) to determine the nature of the scattering medium (dust or electrons). These observations will also yield high resolution, high s/n UV continuum images of the target, and should provide crucial information about the aligned UV continua in RGs to help interpret the much fainter (and harder to observe) structures seen at z>2.

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