Intraday variations of compact extragalactic radio sources in flux density and polarization are generally interpreted in terms of refractive scintillation from the continuous interstellar medium of our Galaxy. However...Intraday variations of compact extragalactic radio sources in flux density and polarization are generally interpreted in terms of refractive scintillation from the continuous interstellar medium of our Galaxy. However, continuous polarization angle swings of - 180° （for example, the one observed in the QSO 0917＋624） could not be interpreted in this way. Qian et al. have shown that the polarization angle swing observed in the QSO 1150＋812 can be explained in terms of focusing-defocusing effect by an interstellar cloud, which occults two closely-placed polarized components. Here we further show that the polarization angle swing event observed in the QSO 0917＋624 can also be explained in this way. We also found evidence for the cloud eclipsing a non-polarized （core） component during a short period out- side the swing. A particular （and specific） plasma-lens model is proposed to model-fit the polarization swing event of 0917＋624. Some physical parameters related to the plasma-lens and the source components are estimated. The brightness temperatures of the two lensed components are estimated to be -1.6× 10^13 K. Thus bulk relativistic motion with a Lorentz factor less than -20 may be sufficient to avoid the inverse - Compton catastrophe.展开更多
Intraday polarization angle swings of ～180° observed in two sources (QSO0917+624 and QSO 1150+812) are discussed in the framework of refractive interstellar scintillationby a continuous interstellar medium. Mode...Intraday polarization angle swings of ～180° observed in two sources (QSO0917+624 and QSO 1150+812) are discussed in the framework of refractive interstellar scintillationby a continuous interstellar medium. Model-fits to the I-, Q- and U- light curves were made for bothsources. It is shown that for the case of 0917+624 both the intraday intensity variations and thepolarization angle swing of ～180° could be explained consistently in terms of a four-componentmodel, which comprises one steady and two scintillating polarized components and one furthernon-polarized scintillating component. The polarization angle swing of ～180° observed in 1150+812,which occurred when the polarized flux density was almost constant, could not be explained in termsof refractive scintillation by a continuous medium and might be due to other mechanisms (e.g.,scintillation by interstellar clouds).展开更多
文摘Intraday variations of compact extragalactic radio sources in flux density and polarization are generally interpreted in terms of refractive scintillation from the continuous interstellar medium of our Galaxy. However, continuous polarization angle swings of - 180° （for example, the one observed in the QSO 0917＋624） could not be interpreted in this way. Qian et al. have shown that the polarization angle swing observed in the QSO 1150＋812 can be explained in terms of focusing-defocusing effect by an interstellar cloud, which occults two closely-placed polarized components. Here we further show that the polarization angle swing event observed in the QSO 0917＋624 can also be explained in this way. We also found evidence for the cloud eclipsing a non-polarized （core） component during a short period out- side the swing. A particular （and specific） plasma-lens model is proposed to model-fit the polarization swing event of 0917＋624. Some physical parameters related to the plasma-lens and the source components are estimated. The brightness temperatures of the two lensed components are estimated to be -1.6× 10^13 K. Thus bulk relativistic motion with a Lorentz factor less than -20 may be sufficient to avoid the inverse - Compton catastrophe.
文摘Intraday polarization angle swings of ～180° observed in two sources (QSO0917+624 and QSO 1150+812) are discussed in the framework of refractive interstellar scintillationby a continuous interstellar medium. Model-fits to the I-, Q- and U- light curves were made for bothsources. It is shown that for the case of 0917+624 both the intraday intensity variations and thepolarization angle swing of ～180° could be explained consistently in terms of a four-componentmodel, which comprises one steady and two scintillating polarized components and one furthernon-polarized scintillating component. The polarization angle swing of ～180° observed in 1150+812,which occurred when the polarized flux density was almost constant, could not be explained in termsof refractive scintillation by a continuous medium and might be due to other mechanisms (e.g.,scintillation by interstellar clouds).
