Monte-Carlo Applications for Partially Polarised Inverse External-Compton Scattering (MAPPIES) -- I. Description of the code and First Results

Abstract

The radiation mechanisms responsible for the multiwavelength emission from relativistic jet sources are poorly understood. The modelling of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and light curves alone is not adequate to distinguish between existing models. Polarisation in the X-ray and γ-ray regime of these sources may provide new and unique information about the jet physics and radiation mechanisms. Several upcoming projects will be able to deliver polarimetric measurements of the brightest X-ray sources, including active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets and γ-ray bursts (GRBs). This article describes the development of a new Monte-Carlo code – MAPPIES (Monte-Carlo Applications for Partially Polarised Inverse External-Compton Scattering) – for polarisation-dependent Compton scattering in relativistic jet sources. Generic results for Compton polarisation in the Thomson and Klein-Nishina regimes are presented.