X-ray spectra and polarization from accreting black holes: polarization of the thermal emission

Abstract

Multicolour black-body emission from the accretion disc around the black hole can be polarized on its way through the atmosphere above the accretion disc. We model this effect by assuming Kerr metric for the black hole, a standard thin disc for the accretion flow and Thomson scattering in the atmosphere. We compute the expected polarization degree and the angle as they can be measured for different inclinations of the observer, optical thickness of the atmosphere and different values of the black hole spin. All relativistic effects near a compact centre are taken into account.