What is polarization? How is it related to the study of astronomy?
1 Answer
May 28, 2016
I tried this:
Explanation:
Polarization refers to the property of a wave to have its Electric Field oscillating in a single plane (plane polarized wave) or in a rotating plane (elliptically or even circular polarized wave).
In Astronomy a use of polarization (one that I remember of) is to study the magnetic field strength of regions of space; Pulsars' highly polarized light, passing through a magnetic field, gets more or less elliptically polarized (Faraday Rotation). By studying the rotation induced in the polarized wave we can evaluate the magnetic field strength.