Polarization changes associated with gamma ray flare in 3C 279

An article in the February 18th issue Nature reports on the direct association of gamma ray flares with the changes of optical polarization. Researchers in Tuorla Observatory, using the remotely-operated KVA telescope on La Palma, the Canary Islands, measured the optical polarization of the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279. They measured a change of sign in the polarization angle exactly when a gamma ray flare occured. The change in sign, and the flare happened at the same, with no time-lag. This means that the source of optical polarization and the gamma ray flare is one and the same.

Read the Abstract in Nature