Demonstration of Ultrawideband Polarimetry Using VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA)

Abstract

We report on recent technical developments in the front- and back-ends for the four 20 m radio telescopes of the Japanese Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) project, VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). We present a brief overview of a dual-circular polarization receiving and ultrawideband (16 Giga bit s−1) recording systems that were installed on each of the four telescopes operating at 22 and 43 GHz bands. The wider-band capability improves the sensitivity of VLBI observations for continuum emission, and the dual-polarization capability enables the study of magnetic fields in relativistic jets ejected from supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and in sites of star formation and around evolved stars.We present the linear polarization intensity maps of extragalactic sources at 22 and 43 GHz obtained from the most recent test observations to show the state of the art of the VERA polarimetric observations. At the end of this article, given the realization of VLBI polarimetry with VERA, we describe the future prospects for scientific aims and further technical developments.