Polarization Properties of Quantum Cyclotron Radiation

We present a simplified formulae system describing the polarization properties of the quantum cyclotron radiation by a nonrelativistic thermal electron in a very strong magnetic field. In this system, each of the derived quantities, including the Einstein coefficients, the absorption cross sections, and scattering cross sections, as well as the absorption coefficients by plasma, is divided into the perpendicularly and parallelly polarized components. The results, especially the absorption and scattering cross sections of resonant frequency photons, are potentially important in x-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, particularly in the study of gamma-ray bursts and pulsars.