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The UVMag consortium proposed the space mission project Arago to ESA at its M4 call. Arago is dedicated to the study of the dynamic 3D environment of stars and planets. This space mission will be equipped with a high-resolution spectropolarimeter working from 119 to 888 nm. A preliminary optical design of the whole instrument has been prepared and is presented here. The design consists of the telescope, the instrument itself, and the focusing optics. Considering not only the scientific requirements, but also the cost and size constraints to fit an M-size mission, the telescope has a 1.3 m diameter primary mirror and is a classical Cassegrain-type telescope that allows a polarization-free focus. The polarimeter is placed at this Cassegrain focus. This is the key element of the mission and the most challenging one to be designed. The main challenge lies in the huge spectral range offered by the instrument; the polarimeter has to deliver the full Stokes vector with a high precision from the FUV (119 nm) to the NIR (888 nm). The polarimeter module is then followed by a high-resolution echelle-spectrometer achieving a resolution of 35000 in the visible range and 25000 in the UV. The two channels are separated after the echelle grating, allowing specific cross-dispersion and focusing optics for the UV and the visible ranges. Considering the large field of view and the high numerical aperture, the focusing optics for both the UV and the visible channels is a Three-Mirror-Anastigmatic (TMA) telescope, needed to focus the various wavelengths and many orders onto the detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Macroscopic velocity fields in stellar atmospheres significantly affect the shapes of the emergent Stokes profiles. The inextricable coupling between the angle and frequency variables becomes more complex in a moving medium when compared to a static medium. In this paper we consider both complete frequency redistribution (CRD) and partial frequency redistribution (PRD) in the line scattering of a two-level atom in the presence of an external weak magnetic field. For simplicity we consider empirical velocity laws to represent motion of the atmospheric layers. We present emergent Stokes profiles computed with CRD, angle-averaged PRD, and angle-dependent PRD. We show that angle-dependent PRD effects are important both in non-magnetic and magnetized scattering when vertical velocity gradients are present in the atmosphere. The results are presented for simple atmospheric models. They are expected to be of relevance to polarized line formation in slowly expanding chromospheric layers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Continuum scattering by free electrons can be significant in early type stars, while in late type stars Rayleigh scattering by hydrogen atoms or molecules may be important. Computer programs used to construct models of stellar atmospheres generally treat the scattering of the continuum radiation as isotropic and unpolarized, but this scattering has a dipole angular dependence and will produce polarization. We review an accurate method for evaluating the polarization and limb darkening of the radiation from model stellar atmospheres. We use this method to obtain results for: (i) Late type stars, based on the MARCS code models (Gustafsson et al. 2008), and (ii) Early type stars, based on the NLTE code TLUSTY (Lanz and Hubeny 2003). These results are tabulated at http://www.astro.umd.edu/~jph/Stellar_Polarization.html While the net polarization vanishes for an unresolved spherical star, this symmetry is broken by rapid rotation or by the masking of part of the star by a binary companion or during the transit of an exoplanet. We give some numerical results for these last cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We study the problem of the generation and transfer of spectral line intensity and polarization in models of stellar atmospheres with horizontal plasma inhomogeneities. We solve the non-LTE radiative transfer problem in full 3D geometry taking into account resonant scattering polarization and its modification by magnetic fields via the Hanle effect. We show that horizontal fluctuations of the thermodynamical conditions of stellar atmospheres can have a significant impact on the linear polarization of the emergent spectral line radiation and its center-to-limb variation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stellar spectropolarimetry has become an extremely popular technique during the last decade or two, and has led to major advances in the studies of stellar magnetic fields. Many important discoveries have been made thanks to ultra-precise measurements of very small polarimetric signals, which require very stable instruments and special observing strategies. The so called beam-swapping technique is a well-known polarimetric technique capable of suppressing many spurious signals due to various instrumental effects. However, when one is interested in ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio measurements, observers start to hit various limitations introduced by the instrument, by the atmosphere, and even by the software for data-reduction. These limitations cannot be overcome by the observing strategies, and sources of errors other than photon-noise must be taken into account. Here we discuss the advantages of the beam-swapping technique, and the impact of small instrument and atmospheric instabilities, and how these issues offer an explanation for the origin of the apparently significant observed polarisation signals produced by effects other than those intrinsic to the observed target. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Ca i 4227 Å is a chromospheric line exhibiting the largest degree of linear polarization near the limb, in the visible spectrum of the Sun. Modeling the observations of the center-to-limb variations (CLV) of different lines in the Second Solar Spectrum helps to sample the height dependence of the magnetic field, as the observations made at different lines of sight sample different heights in the solar atmosphere. Supriya et al. (2014) attempted to simultaneously model the CLV of the (I, Q/I) spectra of the Ca i 4227 Å line using the standard 1-D FAL model atmospheres. They found that the standard FAL model atmospheres and also any appropriate combination of them, fail to simultaneously fit the observed Stokes (I, Q/I) profiles at all the limb distances (μ) satisfying at the same time all the observational constraints. This failure of 1-D modeling approach can probably be overcome by using multi-dimensional modeling which is computationally expensive. To eliminate an even wider choice of 1-D models, we attempt here to simultaneously model the CLV of the (I, Q/I) spectra using the FCHHT solar model atmospheres which are updated and recent versions of the FAL models. The details of our modeling efforts and the results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In our previous attempt to model the Stokes profiles of the Cr i triplet at 5204-5208 Å and the Ba ii D2 at 4554 Å, we found it necessary to slightly modify the standard FAL model atmospheres to fit the observed polarization profiles. In the case of Cr i triplet, this modification was done to reduce the theoretical continuum polarization, and in the case of Ba ii D2, it was needed to reproduce the central peak in Q/I. In this work, we revisit both these cases using different standard model atmospheres whose temperature structures closely resemble those of the modified FAL models, and explore the possibility of synthesizing the line profiles without the need for small modifications of the model atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scattering line polarization and the Hanle effect are among the most important mechanisms for diagnostics of the solar and stellar atmospheres. The fact that real stellar atmospheres are horizontally inhomogeneous makes the spectral synthesis and interpretation very challenging because the effect of thermodynamic fluctuations on spectral line polarization is entangled with the action of magnetic fields. This applies to the spatially resolved as well as to the averaged spectra. The necessary step towards the interpretation of such spectra is to study the line formation in sufficiently realistic 3D MHD models and compare the synthetic spectra with observations. This paper gives an overview of recent progress in the field of 3D NLTE synthesis of polarized spectral lines resulting from investigations with the radiative transfer code PORTA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is well-known that partial frequency redistribution (PRD) is the basic physical mechanism to correctly describe radiative transfer in spectral lines. In the case of polarized line scattering, the PRD becomes particularly important to describe the line-wing polarization, instead of the well-known mechanism of complete redistribution (CRD). Historically, the two-level atom PRD scattering matrices for polarized line scattering were first derived in the 1970's, and later generalized to the case of arbitrary fields in 1997. The latter formulation of the PRD matrices have subsequently been used in the solution of the line transfer equation to successfully model the non-magnetic (resonance scattering) and the magnetic (Hanle scattering) polarization observations. In recent years, using the Kramers-Heisenberg approach, we formulated PRD matrices for various physical mechanisms like quantum interference involving fine- and hyperfine-structure states in a two-term atom. The effect of collisions is included in an approximate way. We have used these PRD matrices to model the observed linear polarization in several interesting lines of the Second Solar Spectrum. In this paper I present a few results which highlight the importance of PRD in the interpretation of the polarized Stokes profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Linear broadband polarimetry is used to characterize the objects of our solar system, and has also been proposed as a diagnostic tool for the atmospheres of exo-solar planets. Homochirality characterizes life as we know it and induces circular polarization in the diffuse reflectance spectra of biotic material. Hence it has been suggested that circular polarimetry may be used as a remote sensing tool for the search of extra-terrestrial life. With this motivation in mind we have decided to explore the potential of both linear and circular spectropolarimetry as a diagnostic tool for remote sensing of biotic material. We have used the calibration unit of the EFOSC2 instrument of the La Silla Observatory to obtain low resolution, but high signal to noise circular and linear spectropolarimetric measurements of a number of inorganic and organic materials. We then compare our “laboratory data” with spectropolarimetric observations of atmosphere-less bodies of our solar system and of Earthshine obtained with instruments very similar to that one used for our laboratory samples. We conclude that linear polarization measurements are more suitable than circular polarization measurements for the characterization of planetary surfaces and atmospheres, and for the search of extra-terrestrial life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stellar magnetism, explorable via polarimetry, is a crucial driver of activity, ionization, photodissociation, chemistry and winds in stellar environments. Thus it has an important impact on the atmospheres and magnetospheres of surrounding planets. Modeling of stellar magnetic fields and their winds is extremely challenging, both from the observational and the theoretical points of view, and only recent ground breaking advances in observational instrumentation - as were discussed during this Symposium - and a deeper theoretical understanding of magnetohydrodynamic processes in stars enable us to model stellar magnetic fields and winds and the resulting influence on surrounding planets in more and more detail. We have initiated a national and international research network (NFN): ‘Pathways to Habitability - From Disks to Active Stars, Planets to Life’, to address questions on the formation and habitability of environments in young, active stellar/planetary systems. In this contribution we discuss the work we are carrying out within this project and focus on how stellar magnetic fields, their winds and the relation to stellar rotation can be assessed observationally with relevant techniques such as Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI), field extrapolation and wind simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The surfaces of the atmosphere-less objects of our solar system are traditionally probed via reflectance measurements and/or broadband linear polarimetry. Little attention has been paid so far to the wavelength dependence of the linear polarization of the scattered light. We decided to explore the potential of spectropolarimetry as a remote sensing tool for asteroids in addition to the more traditional reflectance measurements, and we carried out a spectropolarimetric survey of asteroids – to our best knolwedge, the first of its kind. We observed a sample of asteroids of different albedo and taxonomic classes, as well as a few regions at the limb of the Moon. We show that objects exhibiting similar reflectance spectra may display totally different polarization spectra, and we suggest that both intensity and polarization spectra should be used for asteroid classification. We also found that in some cases the Umov law is violated, that is, in contrast to what is expected from simple physical considerations, the fraction of linear polarization and the reflectance spectra may be correlated positively. We conclude that future modelling attempts of the surface structure of asteroids should be aimed at explaining both reflectance and polarization spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Asteroid polarimetry has taken profit in recent years of a renewed interest triggered by exciting results from observing campaigns and theoretical studies. One of the most important applications of polarimetry to asteroid studies is the derivation of the geometric albedo and of the typical sizes of the particles forming the regolith layer covering the surface. Moreover, the serendipitous discovery of a new class of asteroids displaying unusual polarimetric properties, the so-called “Barbarians”, has been followed by increasing evidence that these objects can be extremely primitive and may be interpreted as remnants of the very first generation of solid bodies accreted in the inner Solar System. In addition, some results of asteroid polarimetry are going to be interpreted, for the first time, in terms of some “ground truth” evidence, made possible by in situ observations of the surface of the asteroid (4) Vesta by the Dawn space probe. Finally, some preliminary evidence suggests that spectro-polarimetry is going to become a major tool for the physical characterization of the small bodies of the solar system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ϵ Aurigae system is a single–line spectroscopic binary system that consists of a variable F0 supergiant star and an occulting disk surrounding an unseen object, probably a B star. The eclipse occurs every 27 years and lasts for almost 2 years. Spectral features attributed to the disk exhibit line shifts due to the rotation of the disk that are easily observed in spectra. We obtained 50+ epochs of high dispersion optical spectropolarimetric data from the ESPaDOnS instrument at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope before, during, and after the most recent eclipse (2009–2011). We found numerous 3–sigma (or greater) linear polarization features in the spectra and associated these with atomic absorption features also present in the spectra. We observed dramatic changes to polarization and position angles with time during eclipse, particularly around 3rd contact. The increased polarization could be due to a localized increased number of scatterers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We discuss the role of linear emission-line polarimetry in a wide set of stellar environments, involving the accretion disks around young pre-main sequence stars, to the aspherical outflows from O stars, luminous blue variables and Wolf-Rayet stars, just prior to explosion as a supernova or a gamma-ray burst. We predict subtle QU line signatures, such as single/double QU loops for un/disrupted disks. Whilst there is plenty of evidence for single QU loops, suggesting the presence of disrupted disks around young stars, current sensitivity (with S/N of order 1000) is typically not sufficient to allow for quantitative 3D Monte Carlo modeling. However, the detection of our predicted signatures is expected to become feasible with the massive improvement in sensitivity of extremely large mirrors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Starlight polarization provides insight into the physical mechanisms in and around the source as well as its geometry, whether or not the source is resolved. In this talk we will review mechanisms that polarize light in stellar envelopes. The observations and modeling can be used to probe the physics of the circumstellar environment as well as its relation to the ambient interstellar environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Supernovae of all types exhibit time-dependent spectropolarimetric signatures produced primarily by electron scattering. These reveal the presence of aspherical and variable phenomena such as complex velocity structures, changing illumination, and asymmetric or clumpy morphologies within the ejecta or surrounding circumstellar material. In addition, the gradual thinning of the ejecta over time allows us to probe different scattering regions as the supernova evolves. Interpreting the time variations of these spectropolarimetric signatures yields unprecedentedly detailed information about supernova explosion mechanisms, the physical processes that shape the density and velocity distributions of the ejecta and circumstellar material, and the properties of the progenitor star.I present an overview of supernova spectropolarimetry, highlighting recent observational and computational results. This versatile technique helps us to constrain explosion mechanisms, connect SNe with their massive progenitors (as well as other high-energy transient phenomena such as GRBs), and investigate the process of stellar evolution in other galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the methods for diagnosing vector magnetic fields in solar prominences is the so called “inversion” of observed polarized spectral lines. This inversion usually assumes a fairly simple generative model and in this contribution we aim to study the possible systematic errors that are introduced by this assumption. On two-dimensional toy model of a prominence, we first demonstrate importance of multidimensional radiative transfer and horizontal inhomogeneities. These are able to induce a significant level of polarization in Stokes U, without the need for the magnetic field. We then compute emergent Stokes spectrum from a prominence which is pervaded by the vector magnetic field and use a simple, one-dimensional model to interpret these synthetic observations. We find that inferred values for the magnetic field vector generally differ from the original ones. Most importantly, the magnetic field might seem more inclined than it really is. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Here we address the importance of frequency cross-redistribution on the scattering polarization of the O i line at 130.2 nm. We compute the polarized profiles of this line with ordinary partial frequency redistribution and cross-redistribution using a two-dimensional radiative transfer code. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sparsity is a property of data by which it can be represented using a small number of patterns. It is the key concept behind an evergrowing list of mathematical techniques for handling data and recover from it signals or information in conditions previously thought impossible. The application of those techniques to spectropolarimetric data is relatively straightforward. We present three examples of such application: the use of Principal Component Analysis to invert the magnetic field in solar prominences from spectropolarimetry of the He D3 line, the removal of fringes from spectropolarimetric data with Relevance Vector Machines, and the retrieval of high resolution spectra from low resolution data with Compressed Sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

DUSTPol is a dual-beam polarimeter that operates in optical wavelengths, and was built to promote the study of linear polarimetry with smaller telescopes. DUSTPol's performance has demonstrated low instrumental polarization at 0.05 ± 0.02%. This poster presents commissioning results as well as early science observations, and describes software used for data reduction. Recent polarimetric results of RS CVn systems and Wolf-Rayet stars, discussed herein, indicate shape and interaction parameters. By promoting the development of similar polarimeters at other institutions, DUSTPol will serve to establish new collaborative surveys of cool active stars, as well as systems showing evidence of containing complex stellar environments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The spectropolarimeter dimaPol measures circular polarization in spectral lines of stellar objects. The instrument is used to simultaneously detect polarization signals in the hydrogen Hβ line as well as nearby metallic lines. A fast switching ferro-electric liquid crystal waveplate synchronized with charge shuffling on the CCD is employed to greatly reduce instrumental systematics. dimaPol has been in use on the DAO 1.8-m Plaskett telescope since 2007. In this presentation we show the capabilities of the instrument as well as some of the main results obtained with it to date. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

POLICAN is a near-infrared (J, H, K) imaging polarimeter developed for the Cananea near infrared camera (CANICA) at the 2.1m telescope of the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory (OAGH) located at Cananea, Sonora, México. The camera has a 1024 x 1024 HgCdTe detector (HAWAII array) with a plate scale of 0.32 arcsec/pixel providing a field of view of 5.5 x 5.5 arcmin. POLICAN is mounted externally to CANICA for narrow-field (f/12) linear polarimetric observations. It consists of a rotating super achromatic (1-2.7μm) half waveplate and a fixed wire-grid polarizer as the analyzer. The light is modulated by setting the half waveplate at different angles (0○, 22.5○, 45○, 67.5○) and linear combinations of the Stokes parameters (I, Q and U) are obtained. Image reduction and removal of instrumental polarization consist of dark noise subtraction, polarimetric flat fielding and background sky subtraction. Polarimetric calibration is performed by observing polarization standards available in the literature. The astrometry correction is performed by matching common stars with the Two Micron All Sky Survey. POLICAN's bright and limiting magnitudes are approximately 6th and 16th magnitude, which correspond to saturation and photon noise, respectively. POLICAN currently achieves a polarimetric accuracy about 3.0% and polarization angle uncertainties within 3○. Preliminary observations of star forming regions are being carried out in order to study their magnetic field properties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The linear polarization in spectral lines produced by coherent scattering is significantly modified by the quantum interference between the atomic states in the presence of a magnetic field. When magnetic fields produce a splitting which is of the order of or greater than the fine or hyperfine structure splittings, we enter the Paschen-Back effect (PBE) regime, in which the magnetic field dependence of the Zeeman splittings and transition amplitudes becomes non-linear. In general, PBE occurs for sufficiently strong fields when the fine structure states are involved and for weak fields in the case of hyperfine structure states. In this work, we apply the recently developed theory of PBE in the atomic fine and hyperfine structure states including the effects of partial frequency redistribution to the case of Li i 6708 Å doublet. We explore the signatures of PBE in a single scattering event and their applicability to the solar magnetic field diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Is it physically feasible to perform the chromospheric diagnosis using spatial maps of scattering polarization at the solar disk center? To investigate it we synthesized polarization maps (in 8542 Å) resulting from MHD solar models and NLTE radiative transfer calculations that consider Hanle effect and vertical macroscopic motions. After explaining the physical context of forward scattering and presenting our results, we arrive at the definition of Hanle polarity inversion lines. We show how such features can give support for a clearer chromospheric diagnosis in which the magnetic and dynamic effects in the scattering polarization could be disentangled. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The extensive literature on the physics of polarized scattering may give the impression that we have a solid theoretical foundation for the interpretation of spectro-polarimetric data. This theoretical framework has however not been sufficiently tested by experiments under controlled conditions. While the solar atmosphere may be viewed as a physics laboratory, the observed solar polarization depends on too many environmental factors that are beyond our control. The existence of a symmetric polarization peak at the center of the solar Na D1 line has remained an enigma for two decades, in spite of persistent efforts to explain it with available quantum theory. A decade ago a laboratory experiment was set up to determine whether this was a problem for solar physics or quantum physics. The experiment revealed a rich polarization structure of D1 scattering, although available quantum theory predicted null results. It has now finally been possible to formulate a well-defined and self-consistent extension of the theory of quantum scattering that can reproduce in great quantitative detail the main polarization structures that were found in the laboratory experiment. Here we give a brief overview of the new physical ingredients that were missing before. The extended theory reveals that multi-level atomic systems have a far richer coherence structure than previously believed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper highlights very recent advances concerning the identification of new mechanisms that introduce polarization in spectral lines, which turn out to be key for understanding some of the most enigmatic scattering polarization signals of the solar visible spectrum. We also show a radiative transfer prediction on the scattering polarization pattern across the Mg iih & k lines, whose radiation can only be observed from space. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The quiet Sun observed in polarized light exhibits a rich and complex magnetic structuring which is still not fully resolved nor understood. The present work is intended to contribute to the debate about the origin of the quiet sun magnetic fields, in relation or not to the global solar dynamo. We present analysis of center-to-limb polarization measurements obtained with the SOT/SP spectropolarimeter onboard the Hinode satellite outside active regions, in 2007 and 2013, i.e. at a minimum and a maximum of the solar cycle, respectively. We compare the spatial fluctuation Fourier spectra of unsigned circular and linear polarization images after corrections for polarization bias and focus variations between the two data sets. The decay of active regions is clearly a source of magnetic fields in the quiet Sun. It leads to a global increase of the polarization fluctuation power spectrum in 2013 in the network. In the internetwork, we observe no variation of the polarization fluctuation power at mesogranular and granular scales, whereas it increases at sub-granular scales. We interpret these results in the following way. At the mesogranular and granular scales very efficient mechanisms of magnetic field removal are operating in the internetwork, that leads to a dissipation or a concentration of magnetic fields on smaller scales. So the cycle-invariant magnetic signal that we detect at mesogranular and granular scales must be continuously created by a dynamo mechanism which is independent of the solar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The past 20 years have seen remarkable advances in spectropolarimetric instrumentation that have allowed us, for the first time, to identify some magnetic stars in most major stages of stellar evolution. We are beginning to see the broad outline of how such fields change during stellar evolution, to confront theoretical hypotheses and models of magnetic field structure and evolution with detailed data, and to understand more of the ways in which the presence of a field in turn affects stellar structure and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 1811, François Arago observed the disk of the Sun with his “lunette polariscopique”. From the absence of detectable polarization compared with his laboratory observations of glowing solids, liquids, and flames he concluded that the Sun's visible surface is an incandescent gas. From this beginning, thanks to orders of magnitude technology improvements, a remarkable amount of what we know about the physics of the Sun has continued to flow from solar polarimetry. This short review compares some selected polarimetric discoveries with subsequent recent observations to illustrate the tremendous progress of solar polarimetry during the last two centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

NOAA 11035 was a highly sheared active region that appeared in December 2009 early in the new activity cycle. The leading polarity sunspot developed a highly unusual feature in its penumbra, an opposite polarity pore with a strong magnetic field in excess of 3500 G along one edge, which persisted for several days during the evolution of the region. This region was well observed by both space- and ground-based observatories, including Hinode, FIRS, TRACE, and SOHO. These observations, which span wavelength and atmospheric regimes, provide a complete picture of this unusual feature which may constitute a force-free magnetic field in the photosphere which is produced by the reconnection of magnetic loops low in the solar atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Red supergiant stars (RSGs) are not only a key evolutionary stage of massive stars participating in the chemical evolution of galaxies, they also represent a fantastic and challenging laboratory of (magneto-)hydrodynamics. We present recent results and on-going research on mass loss, atmospheres, and polarimetric studies of RSGs that reveal a magnetic field of unknown origin. We discuss the potential interplay between these different processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The introductory lecture that has been delivered at this Symposium is a condensed version of an extended course held by the author at the XII Canary Island Winter School from November 13 to November 21, 2000. The full series of lectures can be found in Landi Degl'Innocenti (2002). The original reference is organized in 20 Sections that are here itemized: 1. Introduction, 2. Description of polarized radiation, 3. Polarization and optical devices: Jones calculus and Muller matrices, 4. The Fresnel equations, 5. Dichroism and anomalous dispersion, 6. Polarization in everyday life, 7. Polarization due to radiating charges, 8. The linear antenna, 9. Thomson scattering, 10. Rayleigh scattering, 11. A digression on Mie scattering, 12. Bremsstrahlung radiation, 13. Cyclotron radiation, 14. Synchrotron radiation, 15. Polarization in spectral lines, 16. Density matrix and atomic polarization, 17. Radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium equations, 18. The amplification condition in polarized radiative transfer, and 19. Coupling radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium equations.The introductory lecture delivered at the Symposium has covered the subjects itemized above with the exclusion of Sections 10, 11, 14, 18, and 19. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]