Open AccessA search for optical polarization from the narrow‐line Seyfert 1 galaxy RE J1034+396
Author(s) -
A. A. Breeveld,
E. M. Puchnarewicz
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01354.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , galaxy , polarization (electrochemistry) , synchrotron radiation , astronomy , linear polarization , emission spectrum , electron , spectral line , optics , nuclear physics , laser , chemistry
We present spectropolarimetry data on RE J1034+396, an ultra‐soft X‐ray narrow‐line Seyfert 1 galaxy, and find an upper limit of ∼ 0.4 to the linear polarization in the optical band. This suggests that there is no synchrotron emission in this AGN, and thus it is unlikely that RE J1034+396 is related to BL Lac objects. Furthermore, any other polarization arising from transmission through dust, or reflection from dust and electrons, must be cancelled out by geometrical effects or diluted to a high degree by unpolarized radiation.