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Magnetic Field Structure in Dark Clouds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2017

M. Tamura ,
T. Nagata ,
S. Sato ,
M. Tanaka ,
N. Kaifu ,
J. Hough ,
I. McLean ,
I. Gatley ,
R. Garden  and
M. McCaughrean
M. Tamura
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Kyoto, Japan
T. Nagata
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Kyoto, Japan
S. Sato
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Kyoto, Japan
M. Tanaka
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Kyoto, Japan
N. Kaifu
Affiliation:
Nobeyama Radio Observatory, University of Tokyo, Japan
J. Hough
Affiliation:
Hatfield Polytechnic, UK
I. McLean
Affiliation:
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Unit, UK
I. Gatley
Affiliation:
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Unit, UK
R. Garden
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, UK
M. McCaughrean
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, UK

Extract

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The magnetic field geometry in the central regions of two dark clouds has been mapped by measuring the polarization at 2.2 μm of background stars and of stars embedded in the clouds. The observations were done with the Kyoto polarimeter on the Agematsu 1m IR telescope in December 1984 for Heiles Cloud 2 in the Taurus dark cloud complex, and on the UKIRT 3.8m in May and July 1985 for the ρ Ophiuchus dark cloud core. The main results are:

  1. i) Most of the stars in both regions show polarization and their maxima are 2.7% in Heiles Cloud 2 and 7.6% in ρ Oph, respectively. There are similar positive relations between polarization degree and extinct ion Av's.

  2. ii) The distribution of position angles for Heiles Cloud 2 shows a single mode at about 50° and that for ρ Oph shows a bimode, at about 50° and 150°.

  3. iii) The magnetic fields, as delineated by the infrared polarization, appear perpendicular to the flattened elongations of the molecular clouds.

Type
I. Star Forming Processes in the Solar Neighborhood
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 115: Star Forming Regions , 1987 , pp. 48 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1987 

References

Sherwood, W.A., and Wilson, T.L.: 1981, Astron. Astrophys. 101, 72.Google Scholar
Snell, R.L., Langer, W.D., Frerking, M.A.: 1982, Astrophys. J. 255, 149.Google Scholar
Wilking, B.A., and Lada, C.J.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 274, 698.Google Scholar