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arXiv 1102.3918astro-ph.CO
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巨大Lyman-alpha星云中的线偏振

The Line Polarization Within a Giant Lyman-alpha Nebula

Moire K. M. Prescott, Paul S. Smith, Gary D. Schmidt, Arjun Dey

摘要:

最近的理论研究表明,莱曼α星云可以在莱曼α发射线上被充分极化,这取决于其几何形状、运动学和动力机制。因此,极化观测可以提供一个有用的约束在这些系统中的电离源。在这封信中,我们提出了第一个莱曼α偏振测量的巨大莱曼α星云在z~2.656。我们没有检测到莱曼α发射的任何显著的线性偏振:在单个大孔径内,P_{Lyman-alpha} =2.6+/-2.8%(校正统计偏差)。目前的数据也没有显示出一些理论模型预测的径向极化梯度的证据。这些结果排除了单个散射的莱曼-α(例如,从附近的活动星系核),并可能不符合一些模型的后向散射在一个球形外流。然而,视宁度、减小的信噪比和径向仓内的角度平均的影响使得难以对径向偏振分布施加强约束。目前的限制可能与高密度外流模型,球对称的下落模型,星云或附近AGN内恒星形成的光电离,共振散射或非球对称冷吸积(即,沿着细丝)。更高的信噪比数据探测到更高的空间分辨率将使我们能够利用偏振观测的全部诊断能力来区分巨大莱曼α星云的理论模型。

英文摘要:

Recent theoretical work has suggested that Lyman-alpha nebulae could be substantially polarized in the Lyman-alpha emission line, depending on the geometry, kinematics, and powering mechanism at work. Polarization observations can therefore provide a useful constraint on the source of ionization in these systems. In this Letter, we present the first Lyman-alpha polarization measurements for a giant Lyman-alpha nebula at z~2.656. We do not detect any significant linear polarization of the Lyman-alpha emission: P_{Lyman-alpha}=2.6+/-2.8% (corrected for statistical bias) within a single large aperture. The current data also do not show evidence for the radial polarization gradient predicted by some theoretical models. These results rule out singly scattered Lyman-alpha (e.g., from the nearby AGN) and may be inconsistent with some models of backscattering in a spherical outflow. However, the effects of seeing, diminished signal-to-noise ratio, and angle averaging within radial bins make it difficult to put strong constraints on the radial polarization profile. The current constraints may be consistent with higher density outflow models, spherically symmetric infall models, photoionization by star formation within the nebula or the nearby AGN, resonant scattering, or non-spherically symmetric cold accretion (i.e., along filaments). Higher signal-to-noise ratio data probing to higher spatial resolution will allow us to harness the full diagnostic power of polarization observations in distinguishing between theoretical models of giant Lyman-alpha nebulae.

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