MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE VELA C MOLECULAR CLOUD
- Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Nagoya City University, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8501 (Japan)
- National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
- Department of Applied Physics, Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Okayama-city, Okayama 700-0005 (Japan)
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yohinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan)
- Department of Astrophysics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 (Japan)
We have performed extensive near-infrared ( JHK {sub s}) imaging polarimetry toward the Vela C molecular cloud, which covers the five high-density sub-regions (North, Centre-Ridge, Centre-Nest, South-Ridge, and South-Nest) with distinct morphological characteristics. The obtained polarization vector map shows that three of these sub-regions have distinct plane-of-the-sky (POS) magnetic-field characteristics according to the morphological characteristics. (1) In the Centre-Ridge sub-region, a dominating ridge, the POS magnetic field is mostly perpendicular to the ridge. (2) In the Centre-Nest sub-region, a structure having a slightly extended nest of filaments, the POS magnetic field is nearly parallel to its global elongation. (3) In the South-Nest sub-region, which has a network of small filaments, the POS magnetic field appears to be chaotic. By applying the Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, we derived the POS magnetic field strength as ∼70–310 μ G in the Centre-Ridge, Centre-Nest, and South-Ridge sub-regions. In the South-Nest sub-region, the dispersion of polarization angles is too large to apply the C-F method. Because the velocity dispersion in this sub-region is not greater than those in the other sub-regions, we suggest that the magnetic field in this sub-region is weaker than those in other sub-regions. We also discuss the relationship between the POS magnetic field (configuration and strength) and the cloud structure of each sub-region.
- OSTI ID:
- 22654182
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 830, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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