A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Spectropolarimetry of NGC 1275 reveals a narrow-line radio galaxy with polarization parallel to its radio jet axis
Authors: Marin, Frédéric; Pursimo, Tapio; Liodakis, Ioannis; Lindfors, Elina; Biedermann, Julie; Hutsemekers, Damien; Turkki, Mikael
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Article number: L16
Volume: 702
ISSN: 0004-6361
eISSN: 1432-0746
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202556163
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202556163
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/505551612
Concomitant with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observation of the Perseus cluster, we obtained optical spectropolarimetry of its central active galactic nucleus, NGC 1275, using the Alhambra Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (ALFOSC) on the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). While the total-light spectrum confirms its edge-on, core obscured (type-2) classification, the polarized spectrum shows a polarization angle aligned with the arcsecond radio jet axis – an exceptional behavior for type-2 objects. Our polarization analysis also reveals wavelength-dependent linear polarization at a level of 2−3% in the continuum, likely arising from a combination of variable synchrotron emission and scattering; this supports a narrow-line radio galaxy classification with characteristics of a jet-dominated source.
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Funding information in the publication:
I.L. was funded by the European Union ERC-2022-STG – BOOTES – 101076343.
M. Turkki was supported by Research Council of Finland project 362571.
