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[23.04] A Sudden Polarization Event in the Core of 1803+784

G. R. Denn (Sweet Briar College), R. L. Mutel (University of Iowa)

We report a sudden change in the polarization structure of the parsec-scale radio jet of the blazar 1803+784 (z= 0.68) in late 1995. For several years before the event, the integrated EVPA at 14.5 GHz was approximately aligned to the jet position angle (~270\deg). During the latter half of 1995, the EVPA underwent sudden erratic changes. We show that this is coeval with the appearance of a complex polarized structure within the inner 2 mas. This event may be associated with the appearance of superluminal component C3 identified by Tateyama et al. (Ap.J. 573, 495, 2002). However, the polarized flux distribution is complex and twisted, with several polarized peaks which are not coincident with total intensity peaks in the core and the jet. The polarized jet has a morphology which is consistent with an underlying toroidal magnetic field as suggested by Gabuzda (e.g MNRAS 339, 669).

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: gdenn@sbc.edu

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.