TY - JOUR
AU - Alejandra Jimenez-Rosales
AU - Jason Dexter
AU - S. Ressler
AU - A. Tchekhovskoy
AU - M. Bauböck
AU - Y. Dallilar
AU - P. de Zeeuw
AU - A. Drescher
AU - F. Eisenhauer
AU - S. von Fellenberg
AU - F. Gao
AU - R. Genzel
AU - S. Gillessen
AU - M. Habibi
AU - T. Ott
AU - J. Stadler
AU - O. Straub
AU - F. Widmann
AB - Using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accreting black holes, we show that a suitable subtraction of the linear polarization per pixel from total intensity images can enhance the photon ring features. We find that the photon ring is typically a factor of ≃2 less polarized than the rest of the image. This is due to a combination of plasma and general relativistic effects, as well as magnetic turbulence. When there are no other persistently depolarized image features, adding the subtracted residuals over time results in a sharp image of the photon ring. We show that the method works well for sample, viable GRMHD models of Sgr A* and M87*, where measurements of the photon ring properties would provide new measurements of black hole mass and spin, and potentially allow for tests of the "no-hair" theorem of general relativity.
BT - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
DA - 2021-03
DO - 10.1093/mnras/stab784
IS - 3
N2 - Using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accreting black holes, we show that a suitable subtraction of the linear polarization per pixel from total intensity images can enhance the photon ring features. We find that the photon ring is typically a factor of ≃2 less polarized than the rest of the image. This is due to a combination of plasma and general relativistic effects, as well as magnetic turbulence. When there are no other persistently depolarized image features, adding the subtracted residuals over time results in a sharp image of the photon ring. We show that the method works well for sample, viable GRMHD models of Sgr A* and M87*, where measurements of the photon ring properties would provide new measurements of black hole mass and spin, and potentially allow for tests of the "no-hair" theorem of general relativity.
PY - 2021
EP - 4563–4575
T2 - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
TI - Relative depolarization of the black hole photon ring in GRMHD models of Sgr A* and M87*
UR - https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/503/3/4563/6179858
VL - 503
ER -