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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Effects of Synchrotron Self-Absorption on Polarization Diagnostics of MHD Turbulence

  • Ning-Ning Guo1
  • Jian-Fu Zhang1,2,3
  • Hua-Ping Xiao1,3
  • Qing-Zhong Liu1,3
  1. 1Xiangtan University Department of Physics, , Xiangtan, Hunan 411105 ,
  2. 2National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 ,
  3. 3Key Laboratory of Stars and Interstellar Medium , Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105 ,
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Abstract

Synchrotron polarization is a powerful tool for diagnosing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, yet prior analyses are confined to the optically thin regime, neglecting the effects of synchrotron self-absorption (SSA). Here, we incorporate SSA into the radiative transfer of polarized synchrotron emission and employ 3D MHD turbulence simulations to investigate its impacts on polarization statistics. We show that SSA strongly modulates polarized intensity by suppressing its emission amplitude, steepening its low-frequency power-law slopes, and reducing scale-dependent anisotropy. Notably, SSA does not impede the recovery of the scaling slope of the magnetic turbulence. Our results extend the applicability of synchrotron polarization diagnostics to optically thick astrophysical environments, providing a theoretical foundation for interpreting multi-frequency radio polarization observations. This confirms that polarization statistical techniques remain effective for diagnosing MHD turbulence properties in astrophysical environments where SSA is present.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{guo2026effects,
  title = {{Effects of Synchrotron Self-Absorption on Polarization Diagnostics of MHD Turbulence}},
  author = {Ning-Ning Guo and Jian-Fu Zhang and Hua-Ping Xiao and Qing-Zhong Liu},
  journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/mnras/stag2042},
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag2042/9003271},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Effects of Synchrotron Self-Absorption on Polarization Diagnostics of MHD Turbulence
AU  - Ning-Ning Guo
AU  - Jian-Fu Zhang
AU  - Hua-Ping Xiao
AU  - Qing-Zhong Liu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/27
JO  - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
DO  - 10.1093/mnras/stag2042
UR  - https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag2042/9003271
AB  - Synchrotron polarization is a powerful tool for diagnosing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, yet prior analyses are confined to the optically thin regime, neglecting the effects of synchrotron self-absorption (SSA). Here, we incorporate SSA into the radiative transfer of polarized synchrotron emission and employ 3D MHD turbulence simulations to investigate its impacts on polarization statistics. We show that SSA strongly modulates polarized intensity by suppressing its emission amplitude, steepening its low-frequency power-law slopes, and reducing scale-dependent anisotropy. Notably, SSA does not impede the recovery of the scaling slope of the magnetic turbulence. Our results extend the applicability of synchrotron polarization diagnostics to optically thick astrophysical environments, providing a theoretical foundation for interpreting multi-frequency radio polarization observations. This confirms that polarization statistical techniques remain effective for diagnosing MHD turbulence properties in astrophysical environments where SSA is present.
SN  - 0035-8711
SN  - 1365-2966
ER  -