A Large Scale Pattern from Optical Quasar Polarization Vectors

Abstract

The 355 optically polarized QSOs have redshifts from 0.061 to 3.94 and are spread out over the sky except for a 60 degree band centered on the Galactic Equator. The data we analyze was measured, collected and published by others. Here, we apply tests suitable for large-scale samples and find that the polarization directions align with a significance of p = 1% by one test and are correlated by a second test with p = 5%, each p-value uncertain within a factor of about 2. The tests return a preferred Cartesian coordinate system that fortuitously aligns well with the Milky Way Galaxy with a significance of p = 3%. Thus, the Hub Tests' results combined together imply the polarization directions are correlated with a significance that is much less than 1%, which is remarkable for such a large-scale sample.