Polarization measurements and extinction near the North Galactic Pole.
Abstract
Polarimetric observations of 14 stars near the north galactic pole (NGP) are presented. The results are combined with previous measurements of 56 additional stars in order to determine a lower limit to the interstellar extinction in the NGP region. It is shown that the general interstellar extinction near the NGP is at least about 0.03 mag and that there is a cloud or cloud complex with interstellar extinction of at least about 0.1 mag in the quadrant between galactic longitudes of 270 and 360 deg. The results also indicate that areas of higher polarization (i.e., more dust) apparently coincide with areas of denser neutral hydrogen, that elongated H I structures are generally parallel to the galactic magnetic field in the NGP region, and that the ratio of H I column density to visual extinction in the cited cloud or cloud complex is normal relative to the general value in the Galaxy.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1979
- Bibcode:
- 1979A&A....74..201M
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Dust;
- Interstellar Extinction;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Polarimetry;
- Polarization Characteristics;
- Galactic Clusters;
- Hydrogen Clouds;
- Polar Regions;
- Astronomy;
- Galactic Poles:Interstellar Extinction;
- Galactic Poles:Polarization