X-ray and optical polarization aligned with the radio jet ejecta in GX 339-4

Abstract

We present the first X-ray polarization measurements of GX 339-4. IXPE observed this source twice during its 2023-2024 outburst, once in the soft-intermediate state and again during a soft state. The observation taken during the intermediate state shows significant ($4\sigma$) polarization degree P = $1.3\% \pm 0.3\%$ and polarization angle $\theta$ = -74\degree $\pm$ 7\degree only in the 3 - 8 keV band. FORS2 at VLT observed the source simultaneously detecting optical polarization in the B, V, R, I bands (between $0.1%$ and $0.7\%$), all roughly aligned with the X-ray polarization. We also detect a discrete jet knot from radio observations taken later in time; this knot would have been ejected from the system around the same time as the hard-to-soft X-ray state transition and a bright radio flare occurred $\sim$3 months earlier. The proper motion of the jet knot provides a direct measurement of the jet orientation angle on the plane of the sky at the time of the ejection. We find that both the X-ray and optical polarization angles are aligned with the direction of the ballistic jet.