Far-Infrared Polarization Spectrum of the OMC-1 Star-Forming Region

Abstract

We analyze the wavelength dependence of the far-infrared polarization fraction toward the OMC-1 star forming region using observations from HAWC+/SOFIA at 53, 89, 154, and 214 $\mu$m. We find that the shape of the far-infrared polarization spectrum is variable across the cloud and that there is evidence of a correlation between the slope of the polarization spectrum and the average line-of-sight temperature. The slope of the polarization spectrum tends to be negative (falling toward longer wavelengths) in cooler regions and positive or flat in warmer regions. This is very similar to what was discovered in $\rho$ Oph A via SOFIA polarimetry at 89 and 154 $\mu$m. Like the authors of this earlier work, we argue that the most natural explanation for our falling spectra is line-of-sight superposition of differing grain populations, with polarized emission from the warmer regions and less-polarized emission from the cooler ones. In contrast with the earlier work on $\rho$ Oph A, we do not find a clear correlation of polarization spectrum slope with column density. This suggests that falling spectra are attributable to variations in grain alignment efficiency in a heterogeneous cloud consistent with radiative torques theory. Alternative explanations in which variations in grain alignment efficiency are caused by varying gas density rather than by varying radiation intensity are disfavored.

21 pages, 10 figures. Accepted to ApJ. Major changes from first draft: 1. Additional discussion/introduction about ETAC/HCE, 2. More in-depth analysis on robustness of polarization slope/dust temperature correlation, 3. Updated notation on the spatial polarization ratio analysis, 4. Updated many figures for clarity and consistency

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• Understanding the Multi-wavelength Thermal Dust Polarisation from the Orion Molecular Cloud in Light of the Radiative Torque Paradigm
• The origin of dust polarization in the Orion Bar
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• SOFIA Polarization Spectrum of Three Star-Forming Clouds
• Extragalactic magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program) -- IV: Program overview and first results on the polarization fraction
• Modeling the Far-Infrared Polarization Spectrum of a High-Mass Star Forming Cloud
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