The surfaces of neutron stars are sources of strongly polarized soft X rays due to the presence of strong magnetic fields. Radiative transfer mediated by electron scattering and free-free absorption is central to defining local surface anisotropy and polarization signatures. Scattering transport is strongly influenced by the complicated interplay between linear and circular polarizations. This complexity has been captured in a sophisticated magnetic Thomson scattering simulation we recently developed to model the outer layers of fully-ionized atmospheres in such compact objects, heretofore focusing on case studies of localized surface regions. Yet, the interpretation of observed intensity pulse profiles and their efficacy in constraining key neutron star geometry parameters is critically dependent upon adding up emission from extended surface regions. In this paper, intensity, anisotropy and polarization characteristics from such extended atmospheres, spanning considerable ranges of magnetic colatitudes, are determined using our transport simulation. These constitute a convolution of varied properties of Stokes parameter information at disparate surface locales with different magnetic field strengths and directions relative to the local zenith. Our analysis includes full general relativistic propagation of light from the surface to an observer at infinity. The array of pulse profiles for intensity and polarization presented highlights how powerful probes of stellar geometry are possible. Significant phase-resolved polarization degrees in the range of 10-60% are realized when summing over a variety of surface field directions. These results provide an important background for observations to be acquired by NASA's new IXPE X-ray polarimetry mission.
Discovery of High X-Ray Polarization from the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binary Cyg X-2 in the Horizontal Branch
Università degli Studi Roma Tre（罗马三分大学）；NASA Marshall Space Flight Center（美国国家航空航天局马歇尔太空飞行中心）；Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院）；University of Turku（图尔库大学）；INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera（意大利国家天体物理研究所布雷拉天文台）；INAF–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali（意大利国家天体物理研究所天体物理学与行星科学研究所）
Polarization Images of Neutron Stars Illuminated by a Thin Accretion Disk: A Comparison with Black Holes
Sichuan Minzu College（四川民族学院）；China West Normal University（西华师范大学）；Chongqing Jiaotong University（重庆交通大学）；Chongqing Bashu Science City Secondary School（重庆巴蜀科学城中学）
Studying the Intermittency of Magnetized Interstellar Medium by Synchrotron Polarization Intensity and its Gradient
School of Physics and Electronic Information, Guangxi Minzu University（广西民族大学物理与电子信息学院）；Department of Physics, Xiangtan University（湘潭大学物理系）；Key Laboratory of Stars and Interstellar Medium, Xiangtan University（湘潭大学恒星与星际介质重点实验室）
Thermal Spin Polarization Driven by Nuclear Spin-Orbit Coupling in Neutron Star Pasta
The University of Tokyo（东京大学）；RIKEN Nishina Center（理化学研究所仁科中心）；Quark Nuclear Science Institute, The University of Tokyo（东京大学夸克核科学研究所）；Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University（名古屋大学高等研究院）；Department of Physics, Nagoya University（名古屋大学物理系）；Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), RIKEN（理化学研究所跨学科理论与数学科学项目（iTHEMS））；Nonequilibrium Quantum Statistical Mechanics RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR)（理化学研究所前沿研究集群（CPR）非平衡量子统计力学理化学博雅研究团队）；Center for Spintronics Research Network, Keio University（庆应义塾大学自旋电子学研究网络中心）；Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学卡弗里理论科学研究院）；Physics Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University（广岛大学先进理工学研究学院物理学项目）；Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University（广岛大学广岛天体物理科学中心）；Department of Physics, Chiba Institute of Technology (CIT)（千叶工业大学物理系）；Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency（日本原子力研究机构先进科学研究中心）
Rotation of the polarization plane in axion fields: application to neutron star polar cap regions
Norwegian University of Science and Technology（挪威科技大学）；University of Helsinki（赫尔辛基大学）；Helsinki Institute of Physics（赫尔辛基物理研究所）；Babeş-Bolyai University（巴比什-博约伊大学）；Nuclear Safety Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences（俄罗斯科学院核安全研究所）；L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences（俄罗斯科学院列夫·达维多维奇·朗道理论物理研究所）
