Related papers: Polarimetric Standardization
Modern dual-polarization receivers allow a radio telescope to characterize the full polarization state of incoming insterstellar radio waves. Many astronomers incorrectly consider a polarimeter to be the "backend" of the telescope. We go to…
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…
We review a few useful concepts about polarization measurements in the quantum domain. Using a perfectly general formalism, we show how to build the quantum counterpart of some classical quantities like Stokes parameters and Mueller…
Polarization is a basic property of light and is fundamentally linked to the internal geometry of a source of radiation. Polarimetry complements photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging analyses of sources of radiation and has made possible…
Several on-going and future experiments use a Stokes polarimeter (i.e. a rotating wave plate followed by a steady polarizer and by an unpolarized detector) to measure the small polarized component of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The…
X-ray polarimetry promises to deliver unique information about the geometry of the inner accretion flow of astrophysical black holes and the nature of matter and electromagnetism in and around neutron stars. In this paper, we discuss the…
We present a simple but powerful technique for the analysis of polarized emission from radio galaxies and other objects. It is based on the fact that images of Stokes parameters often contain considerably more information than is available…
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…
Many polarisation techniques have been harnessed for decades in biological and clinical research, each based upon measurement of the vectorial properties of light or the vectorial transformations imposed on light by objects. Various…
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…
Astronomical polarimetry is a powerful technique that can provide physical information sometimes difficult or impossible to obtain by any other type of observation. Almost every class of binary star can benefit from polarimetric…
Stokes parameters are a standard tool in quantum optics. They involve averaged intensities at exits of polarizers. If the overall measured intensity fluctuates, as e.g. for states with undefined photon numbers, the instances of its…
We review the tools and procedures for the analysis of the data collected by X-ray photoelectric gas polarimeters, like the ones on-board the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Although many of such tools are in principle common…
The Stokes parameters have been found in the framework of quantum electrodynamics for the description of polarization of radiation emitted by relativistic positrons channeled between (110) planes in Si crystal. The degree of polarization,…
We discuss different proposals for the degree of polarization of quantum fields. The simplest approach, namely making a direct analogy with the classical description via the Stokes operators, is known to produce unsatisfactory results.…
An approach for measuring linear X-ray polarization over a broad-band using conventional spectroscopic optics is described. A set of multilayer-coated flats reflect the dispersed X-rays to the instrument detectors. The intensity variation…
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…
We discuss statistical and physical properties of cosmic microwave background polarization, both in Fourier and in real space. The latter allows for a more intuitive understanding of some of the geometric signatures. We present expressions…