Polarized Blazar X-rays imply particle acceleration in shocks

Abstract

Blazars are active galactic nuclei that launch collimated, powerful jets of magnetized relativistic plasma. Their primary jet, whose emission typically spans from low-frequency radio to very high-energy (≳0.1 TeV) γ-rays (Blandford et al., 2019), is aligned towards our line of sight. Multiwavelength polarization is a crucial probe of the magnetic field structure and emission processes in such jets. Until now, sensitive polarization observations have been limited to the radio, infrared, and optical range, thereby leaving a gap in our knowledge of the physical conditions experienced by the most energetic particles. Here, we report the first-ever detection of X-ray polarization from the jet in an accreting supermassive black hole system, the blazar Markarian 501 (Mrk 501). The recently launched Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE, Weisskopf et al., 2022) measures a linear polarization degree (Π) over the 2-8 keV X-ray energy range of 10±2% with an electric vector position angle of 134∘±5∘, parallel to the radio jet. The X-ray Π is more than a factor of 2 higher than the optical Π. We conclude that an energy-stratified relativistic electron population, i.e., an acceleration scenario where the higher energy particles emit from more magnetically ordered regions closer to the acceleration site, is the most likely explanation of the higher degree of polarization at X-ray energies. A second IXPE observation conducted 16 days later yielded similar results, strengthening our conclusions.