| |
 |
| Paper: |
Far-infrared/Submillimeter Polarimetric Observations of the Galactic Center |
| Volume: |
186, The Central Parsecs of the Galaxy |
| Page: |
488 |
| Authors: |
Novak, G. |
| Abstract: |
Measurements of the linear polarization of far-infrared and submillimeter thermal emission from interstellar dust grains provide information on the configuration of the magnetic field lines that thread molecular clouds. During the last ten years, far-infrared and/or submillimeter polarization has been measured for six distinct regions within the Galactic Center. We compare recent results, including the first detection of submillimeter polarization from clouds in Sgr A, with earlier work, including far-infrared polarimetry of the 3-pc circumnuclear disk, the arched filaments, and Sgr B2. We argue that (1) Within the Galactic Center neutral gas layer, the measured magnetic field directions appear to be more consistent with a globally azimuthal field geometry than with one that is globally poloidal, (2) the energy available from magnetic reconnection between this postulated large-scale azimuthal field and the poloidal field traced by the non-thermal filaments is sufficient to power the filaments, and (3) recent submillimeter polarimetric results for the ``50 km/s cloud'' in Sgr A support the hypothesis that the formation of massive stars in this cloud was triggered by the expansion of Sgr A (East). |
|
|
|
|
|
