Afterglow Polarization from Off-Axis GRB Jets

TL;DR

This paper models the polarization evolution of off-axis GRB afterglows considering different environmental stratifications and magnetic field configurations, aiding future observational efforts to understand GRB jet properties.

Contribution

It introduces a polarization model for off-axis GRB jets in stratified environments with various magnetic field anisotropies, providing predictions for observational polarization signatures.

Findings

Predicted polarization evolution for different stratification profiles.

Ruled out highly anisotropic magnetic fields for GRB 170817A based on polarimetric limits.

Provided a framework for interpreting future polarization observations of GRB afterglows.

Abstract

As we further our studies on Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), both on theoretical models and observational tools, more and more options begin to open for exploration of its physical properties. As transient events primarily dominated by synchrotron radiation, it is expected that the synchrotron photons emitted by GRBs should present some degree of polarization throughout the evolution of the burst. Whereas observing this polarization can still be challenging due to the constraints on observational tools, especially for short GRBs, it is paramount that the groundwork is laid for the day we have abundant data. In this work, we present a polarization model linked with an off-axis spreading top-hat jet synchrotron scenario in a stratified environment with a density profile $n(r)\propto r^ {-k}$. We present this model's expected temporal polarization evolution for a realistic set of afterglow parameters constrained within the values observed in the GRB literature for four degrees of stratification $k=0,1,1.5 {\rm \, and\,} 2$ and two magnetic field configurations with high extreme anisotropy. We apply this model and predict polarization from a set of GRBs exhibiting off-axis afterglow emission. In particular, for GRB 170817A, we use the available polarimetric upper limits to rule out the possibility of a extremely anisotropic configuration for the magnetic field.