The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry: Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array

E. Lenc; C. S. Anderson; N. Barry; Judd Bowman; I. H. Cairns; J. S. Farnes; B. M. Gaensler; G. Heald; M. Johnston-Hollitt; D. L. Kaplan; C. R. Lynch; P. I. McCauley; D. A. Mitchell; J. Morgan; M. F. Morales; Tara Murphy; A. R. Offringa; S. M. Ord; B. Pindor; C. Riseley; E. M. Sadler; C. Sobey; M. Sokolowski; I. S. Sullivan; S. P. O’Sullivan; X. H. Sun; S. E. Tremblay; C. M. Trott; R. B. Wayth

doi:10.1017/pasa.2017.36

The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry: Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array

E. Lenc, C. S. Anderson, N. Barry, Judd Bowman, I. H. Cairns, J. S. Farnes, B. M. Gaensler, G. Heald, M. Johnston-Hollitt, D. L. Kaplan, C. R. Lynch, P. I. McCauley, D. A. Mitchell, J. Morgan, M. F. Morales, Tara Murphy, A. R. Offringa, S. M. Ord, B. Pindor, C. RiseleyE. M. Sadler, C. Sobey, M. Sokolowski, I. S. Sullivan, S. P. O’Sullivan, X. H. Sun, S. E. Tremblay, C. M. Trott, R. B. Wayth

CLAS-NS: Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present techniques developed to calibrate and correct Murchison Widefield Array low-frequency (72–300 MHz) radio observations for polarimetry. The extremely wide field-of-view, excellent instantaneous (u, v)-coverage and sensitivity to degree-scale structure that the Murchison Widefield Array provides enable instrumental calibration, removal of instrumental artefacts, and correction for ionospheric Faraday rotation through imaging techniques. With the demonstrated polarimetric capabilities of the Murchison Widefield Array, we discuss future directions for polarimetric science at low frequencies to answer outstanding questions relating to polarised source counts, source depolarisation, pulsar science, low-mass stars, exoplanets, the nature of the interstellar and intergalactic media, and the solar environment.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2017.36
State	Accepted/In press - Sep 11 2017

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Keywords

polarization – radio continuum: general – techniques: polarimetric

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Cite this

Lenc, E., Anderson, C. S., Barry, N., Bowman, J., Cairns, I. H., Farnes, J. S., Gaensler, B. M., Heald, G., Johnston-Hollitt, M., Kaplan, D. L., Lynch, C. R., McCauley, P. I., Mitchell, D. A., Morgan, J., Morales, M. F., Murphy, T., Offringa, A. R., Ord, S. M., Pindor, B., ... Wayth, R. B. (Accepted/In press). The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry: Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2017.36

The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry : Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array. / Lenc, E.; Anderson, C. S.; Barry, N.; Bowman, Judd; Cairns, I. H.; Farnes, J. S.; Gaensler, B. M.; Heald, G.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kaplan, D. L.; Lynch, C. R.; McCauley, P. I.; Mitchell, D. A.; Morgan, J.; Morales, M. F.; Murphy, Tara; Offringa, A. R.; Ord, S. M.; Pindor, B.; Riseley, C.; Sadler, E. M.; Sobey, C.; Sokolowski, M.; Sullivan, I. S.; O’Sullivan, S. P.; Sun, X. H.; Tremblay, S. E.; Trott, C. M.; Wayth, R. B.

In: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 11.09.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Lenc, E, Anderson, CS, Barry, N, Bowman, J, Cairns, IH, Farnes, JS, Gaensler, BM, Heald, G, Johnston-Hollitt, M, Kaplan, DL, Lynch, CR, McCauley, PI, Mitchell, DA, Morgan, J, Morales, MF, Murphy, T, Offringa, AR, Ord, SM, Pindor, B, Riseley, C, Sadler, EM, Sobey, C, Sokolowski, M, Sullivan, IS, O’Sullivan, SP, Sun, XH, Tremblay, SE, Trott, CM & Wayth, RB 2017, 'The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry: Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array', Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2017.36

Lenc, E. ; Anderson, C. S. ; Barry, N. ; Bowman, Judd ; Cairns, I. H. ; Farnes, J. S. ; Gaensler, B. M. ; Heald, G. ; Johnston-Hollitt, M. ; Kaplan, D. L. ; Lynch, C. R. ; McCauley, P. I. ; Mitchell, D. A. ; Morgan, J. ; Morales, M. F. ; Murphy, Tara ; Offringa, A. R. ; Ord, S. M. ; Pindor, B. ; Riseley, C. ; Sadler, E. M. ; Sobey, C. ; Sokolowski, M. ; Sullivan, I. S. ; O’Sullivan, S. P. ; Sun, X. H. ; Tremblay, S. E. ; Trott, C. M. ; Wayth, R. B. / The Challenges of Low-Frequency Radio Polarimetry : Lessons from the Murchison Widefield Array. In: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. 2017.

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10.1017/pasa.2017.36