Electric vector rotations of \pi/2 in polarized circumstellar SiO maser emission

Abstract

This paper examines the detailed sub-milliarcsecond polarization properties of an individual SiO maser feature displaying a rotation in polarization electric vector position angle of approximately \pi/2 across the feature. Such rotations are a characteristic observational signature of circumstellar SiO masers detected toward a number of late-type, evolved stars. We employ a new calibration method for accurate circular VLBI polarimetry at millimeter wavelengths, to present the detailed Stokes {I,Q,U,V} properties for this feature. We analyze the fractional linear and circular polarization as a function of projected angular distance across the extent of the feature, and compare these measurements against several theoretical models proposed for sharp rotations of electric vector position angle in polarized SiO maser emission. We find that the rotation is most likely caused by the angle \theta between the line of sight and a projected magnetic field crossing the critical Van Vleck angle for maser propagation. The fractional linear polarization profile m_l(\theta) is well-fit by standard models for polarized maser transport, but we find less agreement for the fractional circular polarization profile m_c(\theta).