The dynamics of the 30 Doradus star-forming region as probed with far-infrared polarimetry
Abstract
While the exact roles of magnetic fields and turbulence at different stages of star formation still remain poorly understood, the latest generation of polarimetric instruments at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths have already shown the ubiquitousness of magnetic fields from the scale of giant molecular clouds to that of protostellar cores. This presentation specifically focuses on far-infrared observations of the polarized dust thermal emission in the massive 30 Doradus star-forming complex (also known as the Tarantula Nebula) within the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is one of the most intense star-forming regions known in the nearby universe. These publicly available data sets at 53, 89, 154, and 214 µm were obtained with the HAWC+ polarimetric camera aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). These observations were modelled using an angular dispersion analysis which provides a measurement of the turbulent-to-ordered magnetic energy in the cloud, as well as estimating the typical correlation length of the magnetized turbulent cells it contains. Furthermore, combined with spectroscopic data from the FIFI-LS and GREAT instruments aboard SOFIA, we can measure the plane-of-sky amplitude of the magnetic field through the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. Finally, these multi-wavelength observations offer a unique opportunity to probe the alignment efficiency of different dust populations in a variety of extreme environments. These provide a valuable test for grain alignment theories, such as Radiative Alignment Torques (RATs), and will prove particularly helpful in characterizing the range of conditions in which they are most efficient.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #235
- Pub Date:
- January 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AAS...23536105C