Abstract
Sciama and Rees1 have suggested that the radio emission of compact quasars will show appreciable circular polarization (≳ 1 per cent) at frequencies greater than about 1,000 MHz. This suggestion is based on assumed magnetic fields within the variable components of these objects as large as 1 to 100 gauss. At 10.6 cm wavelength, Seielstad2 has set upper limits of between 1 per cent and 3 per cent on the circular polarization of fourteen objects of which five are known to be quasars. We now report measurements of the circular polarization of nine quasars and thirty-seven radio galaxies and unidentified sources at frequencies of 437 MHz, 630 MHz and 1,410 MHz. In no case was any significant component of circular polarization detected.
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References
Sciama, D. W., and Rees, M. J., Nature, 216, 147 (1967).
Seielstad, G. A., Astrophys. J., 150, L147 (1967).
Cole, D. J., Proc. Austral. Astro. Soc., 1, 36 (1967).
Kellermann, K. I., Austral. J. Phys., 19, 195 (1966).
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KOMESAROFF, M., GARDNER, F., MORRIS, D. et al. Observed Limits to the Circular Polarization of Nine Quasars at Radio Frequencies. Nature 218, 73 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/218073a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/218073a0
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