Browsing by Author "Scullion, Larson"

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    Constraining the Magneto-Ionic Environment of Galactic Supernova Remnants
    (2024-12-18) Scullion, Larson; Brown, Jo-Anne; Kothes, Roland; Spanswick, Emma; Plume, Rene; Burchill, Johnathan
    The Galactic Magnetic Field (GMF) plays a crucial role in the evolution of the Milky Way, influencing where stars can be born and supporting large-scale structures. Despite this, relatively little is known about the GMF, prompting many efforts to map and constrain the magnetic field strength and direction in as much of the sky as possible. One of the most useful analysis tools for doing so is the observation of rotation measures (RMs), a quantity describing the effects of Faraday rotation on polarised radiation that depends on the magnetic field threading the volume of electron gas the radiation travels through. By calculating RMs from polarised sources at known distances, we are able to deduce properties of the GMF, provided that we know the distribution of electrons along the light propagation path. Historically, this technique is most often applied to unresolved compact sources, but analysis of these sources only provide us information about the line-of-sight magnetic field. My research focuses on applying a similar technique to supernova remnants (SNRs), extended sources of polarised emission in our Galaxy, in order to determine `anchor points' of the GMF where the 3-dimensional magnetic field can be found. I refined existing work using SNRs to develop techniques of depolarisation analysis and RM gradient analysis that constrain the GMF and provide necessary context for the magneto-ionic environment around these objects.