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Magnetic Field and Faraday Rotation

The mean Faraday rotation of tex2html_wrap_inline1366  -9 rad m-2 shown in Figure 7 is consistent with the results of [Simard-Normandin, Kronberg, & Button (1981)] for other extragalactic sources seen through this region of the Galaxy (l = 116.7°, b = 21.5°). It is therefore likely that the rotation measure screen seen in Figure 7 is primarily the foreground screen of our Galaxy. The low apparent rotation measure and the smoothness of the polarization structure shown in Figure 6 suggests that the magnetic field in this source is well ordered. The field configuration is entirely typical of older extended FR II sources, with the E vectors lying approximately perpendicular to the ridge line of the radio emission in most features.

We note that the greater variance and evidence for organized structure in the Faraday rotation of the southern lobe is the opposite of what would be expected if the jet sidedness were due to Doppler favoritism and the Faraday rotating medium were local to the source. We think it more likely that the Faraday rotation structure arises along the line of sight in our Galaxy.


next up previous
Next: Spectral Index Variations Up: Physical Properties of the Radio Source Previous: Equipartition calculations


Fri Feb 4 16:02:06 EST 2000