Polarimetry at the 30m telescope (under construction)

This site collects information relevant to polarimetric observations at the IRAM 30m telescope.

Observing

Beam maps

Documents

• Versatile IF polarimeter at the IRAM 30m telescope

  • Thum et al. 2003 including the first mjm observation of the polarization of the moon's limb

• XPOL—the Correlation Polarimeter at the IRAM 30-m Telescope

  • Thum et al. 2008, PASP, 120, 777

• Polarimetry with EMIR/XPOL - commisioning report (August 2010)

  • Wiesemeyer & Thum 2010, IRAM Report

• Measurement of the Crab nebula polarization at 90 GHz as a calibrator for CMB experiments

  • Aumont et al. 2010

• A sensitive upper limit to the circular polarization of the Crab nebula at λ3 mm

  • Wiesemeyer et al. 2011

• Observations of the Goldreich-Kylafis effect in star-forming regions with XPOL at the IRAM 30 m telescope

  • Forbrich et al. 2008 This publication includes examples for assessing the magnitude of instrumental polarization due to sidelobes

Background material

• IAU definition of Stokes Parameters

  • They are found here. Radioastronomy, including the 30m telescope, uses these definitions. Note however that according to this definition the sign of Stokes V is opposite to the convention in classical optics as described by Born & Wolf in "Classical Optics"

• The sign of Stokes V

  • in 30m observations with XPOL has been determined through several methods. They are described in this short note. Stokes V spectra generated by the data acquisition program have the correct sign according to the IAU convention.