Possible violations of fundamental physical principles, e.g. the Einstein equivalence prin- ciple on which all metric theories of gravity are based, including general relativity (GR), would lead to a rotation of the plane of polarization for linearly
polarized radiation traveling over cosmological distances, the so-called cosmic polarization rotation (CPR). We review here the astrophysical tests which have been carried out so far to check if CPR exists. These are using the radio and ultraviolet polarization of radio galaxies and the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (both E-mode and B-mode). These tests so far have been negative, leading to upper limits of the order of one degree on any CPR angle, thereby increasing our confidence in those physical principles, including GR. We also discuss future prospects in detecting CPR or improving the constraints on it.
STPpol, POLARBEAR and BICEP2 have recently measured the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization in various sky regions of several tens of square degrees and obtained BB power spectra in the multipole range 20-3000, detecting the compone
nts due to gravitational lensing and to inflationary gravitational waves. We analyze jointly the results of these three experiments and propose modifications of their analysis of the spectra to include in the model, in addition to the gravitational lensing and the inflationary gravitational waves components, also the effects induced by the cosmic polarization rotation (CPR), if it exists within current upper limits. Although in principle our analysis would lead also to new constraints on CPR, in practice these can only be given on its fluctuations <{delta}{alpha}^2>, since constraints on its mean angle are inhibited by the de-rotation which is applied by current CMB polarization experiments, in order to cope with the insufficient calibration of the polarization angle. The combined data fits from all three experiments (with 29% CPR-SPTpol correlation, depending on theoretical model) gives constraint <{delta}{alpha}^2>^1/2 < 27.3 mrad (1.56{deg}) with r = 0.194 pm 0.033. These results show that the present data are consistent with no CPR detection and the constraint on CPR fluctuation is about 1.5{deg}. This method of constraining the cosmic polarization rotation is new, is complementary to previous tests, which use the radio and optical/UV polarization of radio galaxies and the CMB E-mode polarization, and adds a new constraint for the sky areas observed by SPTpol, POLARBEAR and BICEP2.
Aims. We study the dust content of a large optical input sample of 910 early-type galaxies (ETG) in the Virgo cluster, extending also to the dwarf ETG, and examine the results in relation with those on the other cold ISM components. Methods. We searc
hed for far-infrared emission in all galaxies of the input sample using the 250 micron image of the Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey (HeViCS). This image covers a large fraction of the cluster. For the detected ETG we measured fluxes in 5 bands from 100 to 500 micron, and estimated the dust mass and temperature with modified black-body fits. Results. Dust is detected above the completeness limit of 25.4 mJy at 250 micron in 46 ETG, 43 of which are in the optically complete part of the input sample. In addition dust is present at fainter levels in another 6 ETG. We detect dust in the 4 ETG with synchrotron emission, including M 87. Dust appears to be much more concentrated than stars and more luminous ETG have higher dust temperatures. Dust detection rates down to the 25.4 mJy limit are 17% for ellipticals, about 40% for lenticulars (S0 + S0a) and around 3% for dwarf ETG. Dust mass does not correlate clearly with stellar mass and is often much more than that expected for a passive galaxy in a closed-box model. The dust-to-stars mass ratio anticorrelates with galaxy luminosity, and for some dwarf ETG reaches values as high as for dusty late-type galaxies. In the Virgo cluster slow rotators appear more likely to contain dust than fast ones. Comparing the dust results with those on HI from ALFALFA, there are only 8 ETG detected both in dust and in HI in the HeViCS area; 39 have dust but only an upper limit on HI, and 8 have HI but only an upper limit on dust. The locations of these galaxies in the cluster are different, with the dusty ETG concentrated in the densest regions, while the HI rich ETG are at the periphery.
We have searched for dust in an optical sample of 910 Early-Type Galaxies (ETG) in the Virgo cluster (447 of which are optically complete at m_pg <= 18.0), extending also to the dwarf ETG, using Herschel images at 100, 160, 250, 350 and 500 microns.
Dust was found in 52 ETG (46 are in the optically complete sample), including M87 and another 3 ETG with strong synchrotron emisssion. Dust is detected in 17% of ellipticals, 41% of lenticulars, and in about 4% of dwarf ETG. The dust-to-stars mass ratio increases with decreasing optical luminosity, and for some dwarf ETG reaches values similar to those of the dusty late-type galaxies. Slowly rotating ETG are more likely to contain dust than fast rotating ones. Only 8 ETG have both dust and HI, while 39 have only dust and 8 have only HI, surprisingly showing that only rarely dust and HI survive together. ETG with dust appear to be concentrated in the densest regions of the cluster, while those with HI tend to be at the periphery. ETG with an X-ray active SMBH are more likely to have dust and vice versa the dusty ETG are more likely to have an active SMBH.
We review the methods used to test for the existence of cosmological birefringence, i.e. a rotation of the plane of linear polarization for electromagnetic radiation traveling over cosmological distances, which might arise in a number of important co
ntexts involving the violation of fundamental physical principles. The main methods use: (1) the radio polarization of radio galaxies and quasars, (2) the ultraviolet polarization of radio galaxies, and (3) the cosmic microwave background polarization. We discuss the main results obtained so far, the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and future prospects.
We report on an update of the test on the rotation of the plane of linear polarization for light traveling over cosmological distances, using a comparison between the measured direction of the UV polarization in 8 radio galaxies at z>2 and the direct
ion predicted by the model of scattering of anisotropic nuclear radiation, which explains the polarization. No rotation is detected within a few degrees for each galaxy and, if the rotation does not depend on direction, then the all-sky-average rotation is constrained to be theta = -0.8 +/- 2.2. We discuss the relevance of this result for constraining cosmological birefringence, when this is caused by the interaction with a cosmological pseudo-scalar field or by the presence of a Cherns-Simons term.
