Work

Angle-dependent radiative grain alignment

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Context. Interstellar grain alignment studies are currently experiencing a renaissance due to the development of a new quantitative theory based on radiative alignment torques (RAT). One of the distinguishing predictions of this theory is a dependence of the grain alignment efficiency on the relative angle (Ψ) between the magnetic field and the anisotropy direction of the radiation field. In an earlier study we found observational evidence for such an effect from observations of the polarization around the star HD 97300 in the Chamaeleon I cloud. However, due to the large uncertainties in the measured visual extinctions, the result was uncertain.

Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201117670

Authors: B-G Andersson, O. Pintado, S. B. Potter, V. Straižys, M. Charcos-Llorens

Institutions: Ames Research Center, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, South African Astronomical Observatory, Vilnius University

Language: English

Topic: Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Award: G4511695751