Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Current Status Of Maser Polarization Theory, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Despite recent criticism, past conflicts among theoretical studies of maser polarization are by now resolved and clarified. All analytical methods proposed thus far produce the same polarization solutions, solutions that agree with observations. Current numerical studies do not reproduce these solutions. Instead, for any pumping employed, their results are in direct conflict with both analytical theory and observations. These problems reflect the fact that the basic formulation of numerical modeling has yet to incorporate the statistical nature of the radiation field.