Prospects for Detecting X-ray Polarization in Blazar Jets

Abstract

X-ray polarization should provide new probes of magnetic field geometry and acceleration physics near the base of blazar jets, but near-future missions will have limited sensitivity. We thus use existing lower energy data and X-ray variability measurements in the context of a basic synchro-Compton model to predict the X-ray polarization level and the probability of detection success for individual sources, listing the most attractive candidates for an IXPE campaign. We find that, as expected, several high-peak blazars such as Mrk 421 can be easily measured in 100 ksec exposures. Most low peak sources should only be accessible to triggered campaigns during bright flares. Surprisingly, a few intermediate peak sources can have anomalously high X-ray polarization and thus are attractive targets.

9 pages, 4 figures, published in APJ

References in corpus (12)

• The 5th edition of the Roma-BZCAT. A short presentation
• MOJAVE: Monitoring of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with VLBA Experiments. VIII. Faraday rotation in parsec-scale AGN jets
• Constraining the limiting brightness temperature and Doppler factors for the largest sample of radio bright blazars
• RoboPol: The optical polarization of gamma-ray--loud and gamma-ray--quiet blazars
• RoboPol: Connection between optical polarization plane rotations and gamma-ray flares in blazars
• Log-normal flux distribution of bright Fermi blazars
• The flux distribution of individual blazars as a key to understand the dynamics of particle acceleration
• Optical EVPA rotations in blazars: testing a stochastic variability model with RoboPol data
• Bimodal radio variability in OVRO-40m-monitored blazars
• The Polarization Behavior of Relativistic Synchrotron Jets
• Flux Distribution of Gamma-Ray Emission in Blazars: The Example of Mrk 501
• The PoGO+ Balloon-Borne Hard X-ray Polarimetry Mission

Cited by in corpus (21)

• Polarized Blazar X-rays imply particle acceleration in shocks
• The X-ray Polarization View of Mrk~421 in an Average Flux State as Observed by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
• Mapping the magnetic field in the solar corona through magnetoseismology
• X-ray Polarization Observations of BL Lacertae
• Magnetic Field Properties inside the Jet of Mrk 421: Multiwavelength Polarimetry Including the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
• The Polarization Behavior of Relativistic Synchrotron Self-Compton Jets
• Detection of X-ray Polarization from the Blazar 1ES 1959+650 with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
• Probing shock acceleration in BL Lac jets through X-ray polarimetry: the time-dependent view
• Testing particle acceleration models for BL LAC jets with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
• Hadronic X-ray Flares from Blazars
• High optical to X-ray polarization ratio reveals Compton scattering in BL Lacertae's jet
• IXPE Observation of the Low-Synchrotron Peaked Blazar S4 0954+65 During An Optical-X-ray Flare
• Determining the origin of the X-ray emission in blazars through multiwavelength polarization
• Monte-Carlo Applications for Partially Polarised Inverse External-Compton Scattering (MAPPIES) -- I. Description of the code and First Results
• Quantitative comparisons of VHE gamma-ray blazar flares with relativistic reconnection models
• Testing particle acceleration in blazar jets with continuous high-cadence optical polarization observations
• Spectral Energy Distribution Modeling of BL Lacertae During a Large Submillimeter Outburst and Low X-Ray Polarization State
• X-ray Spectroscopy of Interstellar Carbon: Evidence for Scattering by Carbon-Bearing Material in the Spectrum of 1ES 1553+113
• Testing High-Energy Emission Models for Blazars with X-ray Polarimetry
• Constraints on magnetic field and particle content in blazar jets through optical circular polarization
• Probing Magnetic Fields and Acceleration Mechanisms in Blazar Jets with X-ray Polarimetry