LOFAR Deep Fields: Probing the sub-mJy regime of polarized extragalactic sources in ELAIS-N1 II. Analysis

Journal article, 2025

Context. Deep polarization surveys at low radio frequencies are key to cosmic magnetism studies: Larger catalogs of polarized extragalactic sources and increased precision on Faraday rotation measures (RMs) make it possible to probe the magneto-ionic medium along the lines of sight of the sources and to construct denser RM grids. In a first paper, we presented a search for polarized sources in deep observations of the 25-square-degree area of the European Large Area ISO Survey-North 1 (ELAIS-N1) field with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at 114.9–177.4 MHz. Aims. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the polarized radio galaxies and use the catalog to produce an RM grid of the field. Methods. After identifying the host galaxies and collecting redshift information, we characterized the radio galaxies in terms of their radio morphologies, rest-frame radio luminosities, and linear sizes. We calculated residual rotation measures (RRMs) by removing the Galactic RM and studied the variation in the RRMs with redshift and degree of polarization. We produced an RRM grid of the field and compared the positions of the polarized sources with those of galaxy clusters and superclusters. Results. The radio galaxies show a variety of morphologies, including diffuse emission; Fanaroff Riley type II sources make up about half of the sample. Using available multiband catalogs, we found redshifts for the hosts of all polarized sources in the range of 0.06–1.9. Polarized emission is detected mainly from large radio galaxies. The RRM values have a median close to zero, and they appear to be independent of redshift and degree of polarization. The sources in the lines of sight of clusters of galaxies and of a supercluster are indistinguishable in their polarization and RRM properties from the population of sources that are not behind these structures.