Far-Infrared Polarimetry of the Interstellar Medium

¹ SOFIA Science Center, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA ;
e-mail: jvaillancourt@sofia.usra.edu
² Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA
³ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
⁴ Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
⁵ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
⁶ University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
⁷ NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
⁸ University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
⁹ University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
¹⁰ University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

Abstract

Polarimetry at far-infrared wavelengths is a key tool for studying physical processes on size scales ranging from interstellar dust grains to entire galaxies. A multi-wavelength continuum polarimeter at these wavelengths will allow studies of thermal dust polarization in an effort to constrain the grains’ physical properties and test grain alignment theory. High spatial resolution (5–30 arcsec) and sensitive observations will measure the influence of magnetic fields on infrared cirrus clouds, the envelopes and disks of YSOs, outflows from both low- and high-mass star forming regions, and the relative strength of magnetic, gravitational, and turbulent effects in star- and cloud-formation.