Indication of Anisotropy in Electromagnetic Propagation over Cosmological Distances

Borge Nodland and John P. Ralston
Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3043 – Published 21 April 1997
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Abstract

We report a systematic rotation of the plane of polarization of electromagnetic radiation propagating over cosmological distances. The effect is extracted independently from Faraday rotation, and found to be correlated with the angular positions and distances to the sources. Monte Carlo analysis yields probabilistic P values of order 103 for this to occur as a fluctuation. A fit yields a birefringence scale of order 1025h0hm. Dependence on redshift z rules out a local effect. Barring hidden systematic bias in the data, the correlation indicates a new cosmological effect.

  • Received 12 January 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.3043

©1997 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Borge Nodland

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Rochester Theory Center for Optical Science and Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627

John P. Ralston

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Kansas Institute for Theoretical and Computational Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Comments & Replies

Nodland and Ralston Reply:

Borge Nodland and John P. Ralston
Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1958 (1997)

Appropriate Null Hypothesis for Cosmological Birefringence

Daniel J. Eisenstein and Emory F. Bunn
Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1957 (1997)

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Vol. 78, Iss. 16 — 21 April 1997

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