Calibration Of Instrumental Polarization Research Articles

Calibrating VLBI Polarization Data Using GPCAL. I. Frequency-dependent Calibration

In this series of papers, we present new methods of frequency- and time-dependent instrumental polarization calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). In most existing calibration tools and pipelines, it has been assumed that instrumental polarization is constant over frequency within the instrument bandwidth and over time. The assumption is not always true and may prevent an accurate calibration, which can result in degradation of the quality of linear polarization images. In this paper, we present a method of frequency-dependent instrumental polarization calibration that is implemented in GPCAL, a recently developed polarization calibration pipeline. The method is tested using simulated data sets generated from real Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data. We present the results of applying the method to real VLBA data sets observed at 15 and 43 GHz. We were able to eliminate significant variability in cross-hand visibilities over frequency that is caused by frequency-dependent instrumental polarization. As a result of the calibration, linear polarization images were slightly to modestly improved as compared to those obtained without frequency-dependent instrumental polarization calibration. We discuss the reason for the minor impact of frequency-dependent instrumental polarization calibration on existing VLBA data sets and prospects for applying the method to future VLBI data sets, which are expected to provide very large bandwidths.

Calibrating VLBI Polarization Data Using GPCAL. II. Time-dependent Calibration

We present a new method of time-dependent instrumental polarization calibration for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). This method has been implemented in the recently developed polarization calibration pipeline GPCAL. Instrumental polarization, also known as polarimetric leakage, is a direction-dependent effect, and it is not constant across the beam of a telescope. Antenna pointing model accuracy is usually dependent on time, resulting in off-axis polarimetric leakages that can vary with time. The method is designed to correct for the off-axis leakages with large amplitudes that can severely degrade linear polarization images. Using synthetic data generated based on real Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data observed at 43 GHz, we evaluate the performance of the method. It was able to reproduce the off-axis leakages assumed in the synthetic data, particularly those with large amplitudes. The method has been applied to two sets of real VLBA data, and the derived off-axis leakages show very similar trends over time for pairs of nearby sources. Furthermore, the amplitudes of the off-axis leakages are strongly correlated with the antenna gain correction factors. The results demonstrate that the method is capable of correcting for the off-axis leakages present in VLBI data. By calibrating time-dependent instrumental polarization, the rms noise levels of the updated linear polarization images have been significantly reduced. The method is expected to substantially enhance the quality of linear polarization images obtained from existing and future VLBI observations.

A Revised View of the Linear Polarization in the Subparsec Core of M87 at 7 mm

Abstract The linear polarization images of the jet in the giant elliptical galaxy M87 have previously been observed with Very Long Baseline Array at 7 mm. They exhibit a complex polarization structure surrounding the optically thick and compact subparsec-scale core. However, given the low level of linear polarization in the core, it is required to verify that this complex structure does not originate from residual instrumental polarization signals in the data. We have performed a new analysis of the same data sets observed in four epochs by using the Generalized Polarization CALibration pipeline (GPCAL). This novel instrumental polarization calibration pipeline overcomes the limitations of LPCAL, a conventional calibration tool used in the previous M87 studies. The resulting images show a compact linear polarization structure with its peak nearly coincident with the total intensity peak, which is significantly different from the results of previous studies. The core linear polarization is characterized as fractional polarization of ∼0.2%–0.6% and polarization angles of ∼66°–92°, showing moderate variability. We demonstrate that, based on tests with synthetic data sets, LPCAL using calibrators having complex polarization structures cannot achieve sufficient calibration accuracy to obtain the true polarization image of M87 due to a breakdown of the “similarity approximation.” We find that GPCAL obtains more accurate D-terms than LPCAL by using observed closure traces of calibrators that are insensitive to both antenna gain and polarization leakage corruptions. This study suggests that polarization imaging of very weakly polarized sources has become possible with the advanced instrumental polarization calibration techniques.

GPCAL: A Generalized Calibration Pipeline for Instrumental Polarization in VLBI Data

Abstract We present the Generalized Polarization CALibration pipeline (GPCAL), an automated pipeline for instrumental polarization calibration of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) data. The pipeline is designed to achieve a high calibration accuracy by means of fitting the instrumental polarization model, including the second-order terms, to data from multiple calibrator sources simultaneously. It also allows for using more accurate linear polarization models of calibrators for D-term estimation compared to the conventional way that assumes similar linear polarization and total intensity structures. This assumption has been widely used in the existing packages for instrumental polarization calibration but could be a source of significant uncertainties when there is no suitable calibrator satisfying the assumption. We demonstrate the capabilities of GPCAL by using simulated data, archival Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data of many active galactic nucleus (AGN) jets at 15 and 43 GHz, and our Korean VLBI Network (KVN) observations of many AGN jets at 86, 95, 130, and 142 GHz. The pipeline could reproduce the complex linear polarization structures of several sources shown in the previous studies using the same VLBA data. In addition, GPCAL reveals a complex linear polarization structure in the flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 273 from the KVN data at all four frequencies. These results demonstrate that GPCAL can achieve a high calibration accuracy for various VLBI arrays.

Spectro-polarimetric observations at the NVST: I. instrumental polarization calibration and primary measurements

This paper is devoted to the primary spectro-polarimetric observation performed at the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST) of China since 2017, and our aim is to precisely evaluate the real polarimetric accuracy and sensitivity of this polarimetry by using full Stokes spectro-polarimetric observations of the photospheric line Fe I 532.4 nm. In the work, we briefly describe the salient characteristic of the NVST as a polarimeter in terms of technology and then characterize its instrumental polarization based on the operation in 2017 and 2019. It is verified that the calibration method utilizing the instrumental polarization calibration unit (ICU) is stable and credible. The calibration accuracy can reach up to 3 × 10−3. Based on the scientific observation of NOAA Active Region 12645 on 2017 April 5, we estimate that the residual cross-talk from Stokes I to Stokes Q, U and V, after the instrumental polarization calibration, is about 4 × 10−3 on average, which is consistent with the calibration accuracy and close to the photon noise. The polarimetric sensitivity (i.e., the detection limit) for polarized light is of the order of 10−3 with an integration time over 20 s. Slow modulation rate is indeed an issue for the present system. The present NVST polarimeter is expected to be integrated with a high-order adaptive optics system and a field scanner to realize 2D vector magnetic field measurements in the following instrumentation update.

Preliminary results on the instrumental polarization of NIKA2-Pol at the IRAM 30m telescope

Clarifying the role of magnetic fields in the star formation process is crucial. Observations have already shown that magnetic fields play an important role in the early stages of star formation. The high spatial resolution (∼0.01 to 0.05 pc) provided by NIKA2-Pol 1.2 mm imaging polarimetry of nearby clouds will help us clarify the geometry of the B-field within dense cores and molecular filaments as part of the IRAM 30m large program B-FUN. There are numerous challenging issues in the validation of NIKA2-Pol such as the calibration of instrumental polarization. The commissioning phase of NIKA2-Pol is underway and is helping us characterize the intensity-to-polarization “leakage” pattern of the instrument. We present a preliminary analysis of the leakage pattern and its dependence with elevation. We also present the current leakage correction made possible by the NIKA2 pipeline in polarization mode based on the NIKA2-Pol commissioning data taken in December 2018. Based on reduced Stokes I, Q, U data we find that the leakage pattern of NIKA2-Pol depends on elevation and is sensitive to the focus of the telescope.

Solar Spectral Lines with Special Polarization Properties for the Calibration of Instrument Polarization

Abstract We investigate atomic transitions that have previously been identified as having zero polarization from the Zeeman effect. Our goal is to identify spectral lines that can be used for the calibration of instrumental polarization of large astronomical and solar telescopes, such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, which is currently under construction on Haleakala. We use a numerical model that takes into account the generation of scattering polarization and its modification by the presence of a magnetic field of arbitrary strength. We adopt values for the Landé factors from spectroscopic measurements or semi-empirical results, thus relaxing the common assumption of LS-coupling previously used in the literature. The mechanisms dominating the polarization of particular transitions are identified, and we summarize groups of various spectral lines useful for the calibration of spectropolarimetric instruments, classified according to their polarization properties.

Observations of solar scattering polarization at high spatial resolution

The weak, turbulent magnetic fields that supposedly permeate most of the solar photosphere are difficult to observe, because the Zeeman effect is virtually blind to them. The Hanle effect, acting on the scattering polarization in suitable lines, can in principle be used as a diagnostic for these fields. However, the prediction that the majority of the weak, turbulent field resides in intergranular lanes also poses significant challenges to scattering polarization observations because high spatial resolution is usually difficult to attain. We aim to measure the difference in scattering polarization between granules and intergranules. We present the respective center-to-limb variations, which may serve as input for future models. We perform full Stokes filter polarimetry at different solar limb positions with the CN band filter of the Hinode-SOT Broadband Filter Imager, which represents the first scattering polarization observations with sufficient spatial resolution to discern the granulation. Hinode-SOT offers unprecedented spatial resolution in combination with high polarimetric sensitivity. The CN band is known to have a significant scattering polarization signal, and is sensitive to the Hanle effect. We extend the instrumental polarization calibration routine to the observing wavelength, and correct for various systematic effects. The scattering polarization for granules (i.e., regions brighter than the median intensity of non-magnetic pixels) is significantly larger than for intergranules. We derive that the intergranules (i.e., the remaining non-magnetic pixels) exhibit (9.8 \pm 3.0)% less scattering polarization for 0.2<u<0.3, although systematic effects cannot be completely excluded. These observations constrain MHD models in combination with (polarized) radiative transfer in terms of CN band line formation, radiation anisotropy, and magnetic fields.