Probing Helical Magnetic Fields in AGN by Rotation Measure Gradients Studies

TL;DR

This study uses VLBA polarimetric observations to detect and analyze rotation measure gradients in AGN jets, providing evidence for helical magnetic fields and their properties.

Contribution

It presents new observational evidence of rotation measure gradients in multiple AGN sources and interprets their implications for magnetic field structure.

Findings

Most sources show rotation measure gradients indicating helical magnetic fields.

Gradients are either parallel or perpendicular to the jet, suggesting different magnetic field properties.

Tentative evidence of gradient flips linked to jet bending or magnetic pitch angle changes.

Abstract

One of the tools that can provide evidence about the existence of helical magnetic fields in AGN is the observation of rotation measure gradients across the jet. Such observations have been previously made successfully, proving that such gradients are far from being rare, but common and typically persistent over several years, although some of them may show a reversal in the direction along the jet. Further studies of rotation measure gradients can help us in our understanding of the magnetic field properties and structure in the base of the jets. We studied Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) polarimetric observations of 8 sources consistent of some quasars and BL Lacs at 12, 15, 22, 24 and 43 GHz and we find that all but two sources show indications of rotation measure gradients, either parallel or perpendicular to the jet. We interpret gradients perpendicular to the jet as indications of the change of the line of sight of the magnetic field due to its helicity, and gradients parallel to the jet as the decrease of magnetic field strength and/or electron density as we move along the jet. When comparing our results with the literature, we find tentative evidence of a rotation measure gradient flip, which can be explained as a change of the pitch angle or jet bending.