Abstract
Synchrotron emission from relativistic jets can be highly polarized. I
demonstrate that the polarimetric signature of jets in X-ray binaries is
detected in the infrared and is highly variable. This reveals the
turbulent magnetic geometry in the compact jet. I present the first ever
test for a correlation between optical polarization and X-ray flux of an
XB (Sco X-1, 50 years after its discovery), using simultaneous data with
sub-second time resolution. In two XBs, the evolution of their broadband
spectra suggests synchrotron emission from the jet likely dominated both
the infrared and X-ray flux during their hard state outburst decays.
From these results, we predict that high, variable levels of X-ray
polarization from XB jets will be detected by future spaceborne X-ray
polarimeters.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 51 |
| Journal | X-ray Binaries. Celebrating 50 Years Since the Discovery of Sco X-1. Proceedings of the conference held 10-12 July, 2012 in Boston, MA |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2012 |