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Preliminary status of POLICAN: A near-infrared imaging polarimeter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2015

R. Devaraj ,
A. Luna ,
L. Carrasco  and
Y. D. Mayya
R. Devaraj
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica Puebla - 72840, México email: dev@inaoep.mx, aluna@inaoep.mx, carrasco@inaoep.mx and ydm@inaoep.mx
A. Luna
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica Puebla - 72840, México email: dev@inaoep.mx, aluna@inaoep.mx, carrasco@inaoep.mx and ydm@inaoep.mx
L. Carrasco
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica Puebla - 72840, México email: dev@inaoep.mx, aluna@inaoep.mx, carrasco@inaoep.mx and ydm@inaoep.mx
Y. D. Mayya
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica Puebla - 72840, México email: dev@inaoep.mx, aluna@inaoep.mx, carrasco@inaoep.mx and ydm@inaoep.mx
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Abstract

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POLICAN is a near-infrared (J, H, K) imaging polarimeter developed for the Cananea near infrared camera (CANICA) at the 2.1m telescope of the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory (OAGH) located at Cananea, Sonora, México. The camera has a 1024 x 1024 HgCdTe detector (HAWAII array) with a plate scale of 0.32 arcsec/pixel providing a field of view of 5.5 x 5.5 arcmin. POLICAN is mounted externally to CANICA for narrow-field (f/12) linear polarimetric observations. It consists of a rotating super achromatic (1-2.7μm) half waveplate and a fixed wire-grid polarizer as the analyzer. The light is modulated by setting the half waveplate at different angles (0○, 22.5○, 45○, 67.5○) and linear combinations of the Stokes parameters (I, Q and U) are obtained. Image reduction and removal of instrumental polarization consist of dark noise subtraction, polarimetric flat fielding and background sky subtraction. Polarimetric calibration is performed by observing polarization standards available in the literature. The astrometry correction is performed by matching common stars with the Two Micron All Sky Survey. POLICAN's bright and limiting magnitudes are approximately 6th and 16th magnitude, which correspond to saturation and photon noise, respectively. POLICAN currently achieves a polarimetric accuracy about 3.0% and polarization angle uncertainties within 3○. Preliminary observations of star forming regions are being carried out in order to study their magnetic field properties.

Keywords

Near-infraredHalf waveplatePolarizationPosition angleMagnetic fields
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 10 , Symposium S305: Polarimetry: From the Sun to Stars and Stellar Environments , December 2014 , pp. 175 - 180
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2015 

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