Related papers: Analyzing the Data from X-ray Polarimeters with St…
New-generation X-ray polarimeters currently under development promise to open a new window in the study of high-energy astrophysical sources. Among them, neutron stars appear particularly suited for polarization measurements. Radiation from…
An easily constructed and operated polarimeter precisely determines the relative Stokes parameters that characterize the polarization of laser light. The polarimeter is calibrated in situ without removing or realigning its optical elements,…
A detailed and formal account of polarization measurements using Bayesian analysis is given based on the assumption of gaussian error for the Stokes parameters. This analysis is crucial for the measurement of the polarization degree and…
Inspired by recent use of polarimetry to study the Cosmic Microwave Background and extragalatic supernovae, a foray into the statistical properties of Stokes parameters expressed in spherical coordinates is began, allowing circular…
We present the expected X-ray polarization signal resulting from distant reprocessing material around black holes. Using a central isotropic power-law emission at the center of the simulated model, we add distant equatorial and axially…
Measurements of the angular momentum (spin) of astrophysical black holes are extremely important, as they provide information on the black hole formation and evolution. We present simulated observations of a X-ray binary system with the…
The new generation of X-ray polarisation detectors, gas pixel detectors, which will be employed by the future space missions IXPE and eXTP, allows for spatially resolved X-ray polarisation studies. This will be of particular interest for…
We derive a generalization of forward fitting for X-ray spectroscopy to include linear polarization of X-ray sources, appropriate for the anticipated next generation of space-based photoelectric polarimeters. We show that the inclusion of…
Polarimetric studies of pulsar radio emission traditionally concentrate on how the Stokes vector (I, Q, U, V) varies with pulse longitude, with special emphasis on the position angle (PA) swing of the linearly polarized component. The…
The Stokes V parameter characterizes asymmetry of amplitudes between right- and left-handed waves, and non-vanishing value of the V parameter yields a circularly polarized signal. Cosmologically, V parameter may be a direct probe for parity…
Researchers routinely characterize optical samples by computing the scattering cross-section. However, the experimental determination of this magnitude requires the measurement and integration of the components of the scattered field in all…
This lab note introduces the "Stokes Camera," a simple and novel experimental arrangement for real-time measurement of spatial amplitude and polarisation and thus spatially resolved Stokes parameters. It uses a polarisation sensitive camera…
We review the state of the art for measuring the X-ray polarization of neutron stars. We discuss how valuable precision measurements of the degree and position angle of polarization as a function of energy and, where relevant, of pulse…
The study of radiation emitted from black hole accretion discs represents a crucial way to understand the main physical properties of these sources, and in particular the black hole spin. Beside spectral analysis, polarimetry is becoming…
Polarimetry remains a largely unexploited technique in observational X-ray astronomy which could provide insight in the study of the strong gravity and magnetic fields at the core of the Constellation-X observational program. Adding a…
With the forthcoming release of high precision polarization measurements, such as from the Planck satellite, the metrology of polarization needs to improve. In particular, it is crucial to take into account full knowledge of the noise…
GRS 1915+105 has been in a bright flux state for more than 2 decades, but in 2018 a significant drop in flux was observed, partly due to changes in the central engine along with increased X-ray absorption. The aim of this work is to explore…
The measurement of radio polarization may be regarded as a three-dimensional statistical problem because the large photon densities at radio wavelengths allow the simultaneous detection of the three Stokes parameters which completely…
A four-dimensional statistical description of electromagnetic radiation is developed and applied to the analysis of radio pulsar polarization. The new formalism provides an elementary statistical explanation of the modal broadening…
We present a series of numerical models suitable for X-ray polarimetry of accreting systems. Firstly, we provide a spectropolarimetric routine that integrates reflection from inner optically thick walls of a geometrical torus of arbitrary…