Study of the intrinsic polarization in RW CEP

Results are presented for four-color photometric and polarimetric observations of the red supergiant and irregular variable RW Cep, which were conducted from the end of 1972 through 1975. The interstellar polarization for the region around RW Cep is determined from observations of neighboring stars. The average degree of intrinsic polarization in RW Cep is found to be about 1.5%, which is the same as the amplitude of its polarization variations. Since the polarization behavior of this star resembles that observed for Mu Cep, it is suggested that both scattering by circumstellar dust and molecular scattering are involved in producing the measured intrinsic polarization.