A possible link between high rotation measure and CSS-GPS sources

TL;DR

This study investigates high Rotation Measure (RM) in compact radio sources, revealing that young, GPS, and HFP sources are embedded in dense, magnetized media causing significant polarization rotation across frequencies.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence linking high RM to dense, magnetized environments in young radio sources using multi-frequency polarimetric data.

Findings

High RM sources are associated with GPS and HFP objects.

Dense, magnetized media cause strong polarization rotation.

Multi-frequency observations characterize the RM properties of these sources.

Abstract

We report here the study, in the radio band, of a sample of candidates of high Rotation Measure (RM). The point-like objects (at kpc scale) were selected by choosing unpolarised sources from the NVSS which show significant linear polarisation at 10.45 GHz. Assuming in-band depolarisation, this feature suggests the presence of a very dense medium surrounding them in a combination of a strong magnetic field. Further single-dish observations were performed with the 100-m Effelsberg telescope to characterise the SEDs of the sample and to well determine their RM in the 11 to 2 cm wavelength range. Besides, a wideband (L, S, C and X band ) full polarisation observational campaign was performed at the JVLA facility. It allows us to analyse the in-band RM for the most extreme objects. Some Effelsberg results and analysis, and preliminary JVLA results are presented. The observations reveal that sources with young, newly growing, radio components at high frequency (i.e. GPS and HFP sources) are characterised by a really dense and/or a magnetised medium that strongly rotates the polarisation angle at the different frequencies, leading to a high-RM.