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The Faraday rotation measure synthesis technique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2008

George Heald
George Heald*
Affiliation:
ASTRON, P.O. Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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We discuss practical aspects of the novel Faraday Rotation Measure Synthesis technique, first described by Burn (1966), and recently extended and implemented by Brentjens & de Bruyn (2005). The method takes advantage of the excellent spectral coverage provided by modern radio telescopes to reconstruct the intrinsic polarization properties along a line of sight, using a Fourier relationship between the observed polarization products and a function describing the intrinsic polarization (the Faraday dispersion function). An important consequence of the Fourier relationship and discrete frequency sampling is the need, in some cases, to deconvolve the sampling response from the reconstructed Faraday dispersion function. Practical aspects of the deconvolution procedure are discussed. We illustrate the use of the technique by summarizing a recent investigation carried out with the WSRT. We conclude by briefly describing the applicability to future programs which will be carried out with the next generation of radio telescopes such as LOFAR.

Keywords

Magnetic fields – polarization – methods: data analysis – techniques: polarimetric
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S259: Cosmic Magnetic Fields: From Planets, to Stars and Galaxies , November 2008 , pp. 591 - 602
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009

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