Hostname: page-component-5b777bbd6c-gcwzt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-06-18T11:02:23.171Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français
Accepted manuscript

The Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM): Science Goals and Survey Description

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2025

B. M. Gaensler ,
G. H. Heald Open the ORCID record for G. H. Heald [Opens in a new window] ,
N. M. McClure-Griffiths ,
C. S. Anderson ,
C. L. Van Eck ,
J. L. West Open the ORCID record for J. L. West [Opens in a new window] ,
A. J. M. Thomson Open the ORCID record for A. J. M. Thomson [Opens in a new window] ,
J. P. Leahy Open the ORCID record for J. P. Leahy [Opens in a new window] ,
L. Rudnick  and
Y. K. Ma Open the ORCID record for Y. K. Ma [Opens in a new window]
...Show all authors
B. M. Gaensler
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
G. H. Heald*
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia SKA Observatory, SKA-Low Science Operations Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151, Australia
N. M. McClure-Griffiths
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
C. S. Anderson
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
C. L. Van Eck
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
J. L. West
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada National Research Council Canada, Herzberg Research Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, BC V2A 6J9, Canada
A. J. M. Thomson
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
J. P. Leahy
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
L. Rudnick
Affiliation:
Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Y. K. Ma
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
Takuya Akahori
Affiliation:
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
G. Gürkan
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
T. L. Landecker
Affiliation:
National Research Council Canada, Herzberg Research Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, BC V2A 6J9, Canada
S. A. Mao
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
S. P. O’Sullivan
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica & IPARCOS-UCM, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
W. Raja
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Space and Astronomy, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
X. Sun
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
T. Vernstrom
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia, 7 Fairway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
Lerato Baidoo
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
Ettore Carretti
Affiliation:
INAF – Istituto di Radioastronomia, via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
A. R. Taylor
Affiliation:
Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, 7535 South Africa
A.G. Willis
Affiliation:
National Research Council Canada, Herzberg Research Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, BC V2A 6J9, Canada
Erik Osinga
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
J. D. Livingston
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
E. L. Alexander
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
David Alonso-López
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica & IPARCOS-UCM, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
A. D. Amaral
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
T. An
Affiliation:
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, China 100101 Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy and Technology (Chinese Academy of Sciences), A20 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
Andrea Bracco
Affiliation:
INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy Laboratoire de Physique de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, F-75005 Paris, France
S. Bradbury
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
Marcus Brüggen
Affiliation:
Hamburger Sternwarte, University of Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg, Germany
Chakali Eswaraiah
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati 517507, India
Torsten Enßlin
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
T. J. Galvin
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
Marijke Haverkorn
Affiliation:
Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
A. M. Hopkins
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 12 Wally’s Walk, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
Sebastian Hutschenreuter
Affiliation:
University of Vienna, Department of Astrophysics, Türkenschanzstrasse 17, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Shinsuke Ideguchi
Affiliation:
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
S. Jaswanth
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
S. Lyla Jung
Affiliation:
Astrophysics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
J. F. Kaczmarek
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Space & Astronomy, Parkes Observatory, P.O. Box 276, Parkes, NSW 2870, Australia
Roland Kothes
Affiliation:
National Research Council Canada, Herzberg Research Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, BC V2A 6J9, Canada
Sanja Lazarević
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Space and Astronomy, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
Denis Leahy
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Francesca Loi
Affiliation:
INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, via della scienza 5, Selargius, Italy
Joshua R. Marvil
Affiliation:
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Ray Norris
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Space and Astronomy, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia
Ayush Pandhi
Affiliation:
David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
Jason M. Price
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
C. J. Riseley
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Institut der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (AIRUB), Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
P. Ryder
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Amit Seta
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
Vasundhara Shaw
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
A. X. Shen
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
C. Sobey
Affiliation:
Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Space and Astronomy, PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, Australia SKA Observatory, SKA-Low Science Operations Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151, Australia
J. Stil
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Chiara Stuardi
Affiliation:
INAF – Istituto di Radioastronomia, via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Gupta Upasana
Affiliation:
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati 517619, India
Shannon Vanderwoude
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
Velibor Velović
Affiliation:
Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: G. H. Heald, Email: george.heald@skao.int.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a groundbreaking survey with three primary objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive Faraday rotation measure (RM) grid of up to one million compact extragalactic sources across the southern ∼ 50 per cent of the sky (20,630 deg2); (2) to map the intrinsic polarisation and RM properties of a wide range of discrete extragalactic and Galactic objects over the same area; and (3) to contribute interferometric data with excellent surface brightness sensitivity, which can be combined with single-dish data to study the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. Observations for the full POSSUM survey commenced in May 2023 and are expected to conclude by mid-2028. POSSUM will achieve an RM grid density of around 30–50 RMs per square degree with a median measurement uncertainty of ∼1 rad m−2. The survey operates primarily over a frequency range of 800–1088 MHz, with an angular resolution of 20″ and a typical RMS sensitivity in Stokes Q or U of 18 μJy beam−1. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296–1440 MHz over 38 per cent of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetized phenomena in a wide range of cosmic environments, including the intergalactic medium and cosmic web, galaxy clusters and groups, active galactic nuclei and radio galaxies, the Magellanic System and other nearby galaxies, galaxy halos and the circumgalactic medium, and the magnetic structure of the Milky Way across a very wide range of scales, as well as the interplay between these components. This paper reviews the current science case developed by the POSSUM Collaboration and provides an overview of POSSUM’s observations, data processing, outputs, and its complementarity with other radio and multi-wavelength surveys, including future work with the SKA.

Keywords

magnetic fieldsgalaxiesinterstellar medium (ISM), nebulaesurveyspolarization
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Accepted manuscript , pp. 1 - 32
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Astronomical Society of Australia