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NIR polarimetry as a probe of the large-scale structure of the galactic magnetic field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2013

Michael D. Pavel
Michael D. Pavel*
Affiliation:
Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, USA email: pavelmi@astro.as.utexas.edu
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Abstract

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H-band (1.6 μm) starlight polarimetry was used to test predictions of the large-scale symmetry of the Galactic magnetic field and to measure the Galactic magnetic pitch angle. Polarimetry was obtained with the Mimir instrument on the 1.8m Perkins Telescope outside of Flagstaff, AZ USA along a line of constant Galactic longitude for a range of Galactic latitudes. Comparison with all-sky predictions of starlight polarimetry allows significant rejection of disk anti-symmetric Galactic magnetic field geometries and favored disk symmetric geometries. The Galactic magnetic field pitch angle was also constrained to be p=–6±2° towards this direction.

Keywords

Galaxy: diskISM: magnetic fieldsmagnetic fieldspolarizationradiative transfer
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 8 , Symposium S294: Solar and Astrophysical Dynamos and Magnetic Activity , August 2012 , pp. 253 - 254
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013 

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