Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2024
Abstract
We present X-ray polarimetry observations from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) of three low spectral peak and one intermediate spectral peak blazars, namely 3C 273, 3C 279, 3C 454.3, and S5 0716+714. For none of these objects was IXPE able to detect X-ray polarization at the 3σ level. However, we placed upper limits on the polarization degree at ∼10%-30%. The undetected polarizations favor models where the X-ray band is dominated by unpolarized photons upscattered by relativistic electrons in the jets of blazars, although hadronic models are not completely eliminated. We discuss the X-ray polarization upper limits in the context of our contemporaneous multiwavelength polarization campaigns.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Astrophysical Journal
Recommended Citation
Marshall, H., Liodakis, I., Marscher, A., Di Lalla, N., Jorstad, S., Kim, D., Middei, R., Negro, M., Omodei, N., Peirson, A., Perri, M., Puccetti, S., Laurenti, M., Agudo, I., Bonnoli, G., Berdyugin, A., Cavazzuti, E., Rodriguez Cavero, N., Donnarumma, I., Di Gesu, L., Jormanainen, J., Krawczynski, H., Lindfors, E., Madjeski, G., Marin, F., Massaro, F., Pacciani, L., Poutanen, J., Tavecchio, F., Kouch, P., Aceituno, F., Bernardos, M., & Casanova, V. (2024). Observations of Low and Intermediate Spectral Peak Blazars with the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer. Astrophysical Journal, 972 (1) https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5671