Detection of submillimeter polarization in the Orion nebula
R. H. Hildebrand, M. Dragovan, G. Novak;
ApJ, 1984, 284, L51
ABSTRACT:Linear polarization has been observed in the submillimeter radiation (270 microns) from
two regions of Orion: one centered in the Kleinmann-Low nebula and one
centered 1.5 arcmin south of the nebula.
The observations were performed in
September of 1983 and January of 1984 with the NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory
(KAO).
The polarizations measured for the two regions were both 1.7 percent, plus
or minus 0.4 and 0.5 percent, respectively.
The angle of the outflow from
both sources was 27 degrees, plus or minus seven degrees.
An upper limit for
polarization in the submillimeter radiation from the nebula W3(OH) was established
at 1.6 percent.
The observational data are compared with results from
several other recent polarimetric observations of Orion, and some of their
implications are discussed.
KEYWORDS: interstellar radiation, orion nebula, polarized electromagnetic radiation, radio astronomy, submillimeter waves, far infrared radiation, linear polarization, polarimetry
PERSOKEY:polarisation, submillimeter, molecular clouds, kao, ,
CODE: hildebrand84