Downstream Depolarization in the Sausage Relic: A 1–4 GHz Very Large Array Study

Abstract

Radio relics are elongated sources related to shocks driven by galaxy cluster merger events. Although these objects are highly polarized at GHz frequencies (≳20%), high-resolution studies of their polarization properties are still lacking. We present the first high-resolution and high-sensitivity polarimetry study of the merging galaxy cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 in the 1–4 GHz frequency band. We use the QU -fitting approach to model the Stokes I , Q , and U emission, obtaining best-fit intrinsic polarization fraction ( p 0 ), intrinsic polarization angle ( χ 0 ), rotation measure (RM), and wavelength-dependent depolarization ( σ RM ) maps of the cluster. Our analysis focuses on the northern relic (RN). For the first time in a radio relic, we observe a decreasing polarization fraction in the downstream region. Our findings are possibly explained by geometrical projections and/or by decreasing of the magnetic field anisotropy toward the cluster center. From the amount of depolarization of the only detected background radio galaxy, we estimate a turbulent magnetic field strength of B turb ∼ 5.6 μ G in the relic. Finally, we observe RM fluctuations of about 30 rad m −2 around the median value of 140.8 rad m −2 at the relic position.