Constraining Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows with Sub-mm Polarization Observations

Details Constraining Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows with Sub-mm Polarization Observations Constraining Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows with Sub-mm Polarization Observations

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...21114806b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #148.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.1001

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The low-luminosity black hole Sgr A* provides a testbed for models of Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows (RIAFs). Recent sub-millimeter linear polarization measurements of Sgr A* have provided evidence that the electrons in the accretion flow are relativistic over a large range of radii. Here, we show that these high temperatures result in elliptical plasma normal modes. Thus, polarized millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation emitted within RIAFs will undergo generalized Faraday rotation, a cyclic conversion between linear and circular polarization. This effect will not depolarize the radiation even if the rotation measure is extremely high. Rather, the beam will take on the linear and circular polarization properties of the plasma normal modes. As a result, polarization measurements of Sgr A* in this frequency regime will constrain the temperature, density and magnetic profiles of RIAF models.

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