Circularly polarised radio emission from GRS 1915+105 and other X-ray binaries

Abstract

I report the detection of circular polarisation, associated with relativistic ejections, from the `microquasar' GRS 1915+105. I further compare detections and limits of circular polarisation and circular-to-linear polarisation ratios in other X-ray binaries. Since in at least two cases the dominance of linear over circular polarisation or vice versa is a function of frequency, this seems to indicate that this is a strong function of depolarisation in the source. Furthermore, I note that circular polarisation has only been detected from sources whose jets lie close to the plane of the sky, whereas we have quite stringent limits on the circular polarisation of jets which lie close to the line of sight.

arXiv commentTo appear in the proceedings of "Circular Polarisation from Relativistic Jet Sources", Eds R. P. Fender and J.-P. Macquart, Kluwer / Astrophysics and Space Science, in press

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• The evolving polarised jet of black hole candidate Swift J1745-26
• Discovery of ASKAP J173608.2-321635 as a Highly-Polarized Transient Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder
• A transient I band excess in the optical spectrum of the accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658
• Short Timescale Evolution of the Polarized Radio Jet during V404 Cygni's 2015 Outburst
• Radio Transients and Variables in the Tenth Deeper, Wider, Faster Observing Run