KVN unveils the plasma physics of AGN

Its ability to measure the polarization of light at four frequencies makes the KVN a "plasma physics observatory" that can probe the internal physics (e.g., magnetic fields, outflow geometries) of AGN radio jets and cores. We initiated a Key Science Program, the Plasma-physics of Active Galactic Nuclei (PAGaN) project, dedicated to polarimetric monitoring of 14 radio-bright AGN. We have been able to measure the Faraday rotation measure of the cores of our targets as function of frequency; the observed scaling relation is in good agreement with conically expanding outflows to first order. We are further probing a polarized hotspot in the jet of 3C84 and possible systematic differences in the Faraday rotation in BL Lacertae objects and flat spectrum radio quasars.