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Antonio M. Magalhaes |
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"Starlight Polarization: A
Tool for Studying the Magnetic Field Structure of the ISM" |
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A fraction of the grains in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) is aligned with their spin along the magnetic field direction and their longest profile perpendicular to the field. Background starlight becomes thus linearly polarized along the magnetic field direction and a tracer of
the field. In the sub-mm domain, dust emission is polarized perpendicularly to the field direction, becoming also a probe of the
field.
In this talk we will show recent results of starlight polarization in several environments. The analysis shows the great potential of the
technique to study the structure and intensity of the ISM magnetic field in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds.
Knowledge of the starlight polarization away from the Galactic Plane is crucial for the correct interpretation of the CMBR polarization,
to be performed by the Planck satellite and future space missions. Present and future programs, including the use of the LSST, are
described for determining the polarization and magnetic field structure away from the Plane.
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