[en] We present new optical circular polarization measurements with typical uncertainties <0.1% for a sample of 21 quasars. All but two objects have null circular polarization. We use this result to constrain the polarization due to photon-pseudoscalar mixing along the line of sight. We detect significant (> 3σ) circular polarization in two blazars with high linear polarization and discuss the implications of this result for quasar physics. In particular, the recorded polarization degrees may be indicative of magnetic fields as strong as 1 kG or a significant contribution of inverse Compton scattering to the optical continuum. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Observatory (Chile). ESO program ID: 79.A-0625(B).Appendices are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Hutsemekers, Damien ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Borguet, Benoît ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique et traitement de l'image
Sluse, Dominique ; Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstr. 12-14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Cabanac, R.; Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Toulouse-Tarbes, Université de Toulouse, 57 avenue d'Azereix, 65000 Tarbes, France
Lamy, Hervé ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO)
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