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Issue A&A
Volume 367, Number 3, March I 2001
Page(s) 770 - 779
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20000465



A&A 367, 770-779 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20000465

Rapid polarization variations at 20 cm in 0917+624

S. J. Qian1, 2, A. Witzel1, A. Kraus1, T. P. Krichbaum1 and J. A. Zensus1

1  Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
2  Beijing Astronomical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatories (CAS), Beijing 100012, China

(Received 15 May 2000 / Accepted 28 November 2000)

Abstract
The intraday variations (IDV hereafter) of the total and the polarized flux density observed at 20 cm in 0917+624 (in May 1989) are analysed. It is shown that the IDV can be interpreted in terms of refractive interstellar scintillation. The observed variations are dominated by one scintillating component with a timescale $\tau\approx0.6$ days and a scintillation index $m\approx0.04$. In addition, one more scintillating component with a shorter timescale and a smaller scintillation index is needed to improve the fit to the observed Q- and U-light curves. The relationship between the scintillating components and the VLBI components are also discussed. It is shown that Doppler beaming of the 20 cm scintillating components with a Lorentz factor $\stackrel {> }{_\sim}$ 7 may be needed to reduce their intrinsic brightness temperatures significantly below the inverse-Compton limit.


Key words: galaxies: compact -- polarization -- scattering -- radiation mechanisms: non-thermal -- quasars: individual: 0917+62

Offprint request: A. Witzel

SIMBAD Objects in preparation



© ESO 2001


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