Detection of the linearly polarised spectrum of the red supergiant star alpha Ori
Detection of the linearly polarised spectrum of the red supergiant star alpha Ori
In the solar limb, linear polarisation is due to anisotropy of the radiation field induced by limb darkening. It is maximal when it is seen parallel to the limb and it vanishes when it is integrated over the spherically-symmetric solar disk. Therefore for distant stars, that present spherical symmetry, linear …