Polarimetric Mapping of Orion Using MILLIPOL: Magnetic Activity in BN/KL
Abstract
The spatial distribution of the polarized component of the thermal dust emission from the core of the Orion molecular cloud has been mapped over 15 positions at a wavelength of 1300 microns using the Millipol instrument on the NRAO 12 m telescope. The polarization directions deduced for the map positions are quite similar, implying that the embedded magnetic field is strong (of the order of 1 mG) and uniform in direction over the core of the cloud. The mean polarization percentage, 4.6 percent, is quite high, and two positions show polarization percentages of nearly 8 percent, the highest yet detected for polarized thermal dust emission. Finally, the polarization of the BN/KL position was found to be significantly lower than the polarizations toward positions 30 arcmin outside BN/KL.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1086/169811
- Bibcode:
- 1991ApJ...370..257L
- Keywords:
-
- Interstellar Matter;
- Orion Nebula;
- Polarimetry;
- Cosmic Dust;
- Spatial Distribution;
- Stellar Magnetic Fields;
- Thermal Emission;
- Astrophysics;
- INTERSTELLAR: GRAINS;
- INTERSTELLAR: MAGNETIC FIELDS;
- MAGNETIC FIELDS;
- NEBULAE: H II REGIONS;
- NEBULAE: ORION NEBULA;
- POLARIZATION