First Ever Detection of a Linearly Polarized Radio Relic Down to 550 MHz

Radio relics, arc-like polarized sources with highly aligned magnetic vectors, are typically found on the outskirts of merging galaxy clusters.The magneto-ionic media responsible for the significant coherence observed in radio relics remain poorly understood.Low-frequency measurements of radio relics are essential for constraining depolarization models, which provide crucial insights into the magnetic field distribution.However, these measurements are challenging due to the emission properties and interferometer systematics.We have detected polarization signals from the northwest radio relic in Abell 746 at 650 MHz with the upgraded Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, marking the first-ever detection of polarization from radio relics below 1 GHz.At this frequency, the Rotation Measure (RM) corrected vectors align well with shock radio emission, typical of radio relics.The fractional polarization at 650 MHz is 18 4 %.Our results indicate that a single internal depolarization model cannot explain the observed depolarization spectra, suggesting a non-uniform magnetic field distribution or complex contribution of different polarized regions in the radio relic.Our detection of polarization signals down to 550 MHz reveals insights into radio relic magnetic field structures, offering a low-frequency approach to understanding ICM magnetic fields in merging galaxy clusters for the first time.

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Publication Details

Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.46620/ursiaprasc25/sthy6735
Primary Topic
Electromagnetic Compatibility and Measurements
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

First Ever Detection of a Linearly Polarized Radio Relic Down to 550 MHz

Ruta Kale, Arpan Pal
Electromagnetic Compatibility and Measurements
article

First Ever Detection of a Linearly Polarized Radio Relic Down to 550 MHz

Ruta Kale, Arpan Pal
article en

Abstract

Radio relics, arc-like polarized sources with highly aligned magnetic vectors, are typically found on the outskirts of merging galaxy clusters.The magneto-ionic media responsible for the significant coherence observed in radio relics remain poorly understood.Low-frequency measurements of radio relics are essential for constraining depolarization models, which provide crucial insights into the magnetic field distribution.However, these measurements are challenging due to the emission properties and interferometer systematics.We have detected polarization signals from the northwest radio relic in Abell 746 at 650 MHz with the upgraded Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, marking the first-ever detection of polarization from radio relics below 1 GHz.At this frequency, the Rotation Measure (RM) corrected vectors align well with shock radio emission, typical of radio relics.The fractional polarization at 650 MHz is 18 4 %.Our results indicate that a single internal depolarization model cannot explain the observed depolarization spectra, suggesting a non-uniform magnetic field distribution or complex contribution of different polarized regions in the radio relic.Our detection of polarization signals down to 550 MHz reveals insights into radio relic magnetic field structures, offering a low-frequency approach to understanding ICM magnetic fields in merging galaxy clusters for the first time.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Science and Engineering Research Board
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
Electromagnetic Compatibility and Measurements
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First Ever Detection of a Linearly Polarized Radio Relic Down to 550 MHz — Ruta Kale, Arpan Pal · (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS