Polarized Emission from Interstellar Dust

Abstract

Observations of far-infrared (FIR) and submillimeter (SMM) polarized emission are used to study magnetic fields and dust grains in dense regions of the interstellar medium (ISM). These observations place constraints on models of molecular clouds, star-formation, grain alignment mechanisms, and grain size, shape, and composition. The FIR/SMM polarization is strongly dependent on wavelength. We have attributed this wavelength dependence to sampling different grain populations at different temperatures. To date, most observations of polarized emission have been in the densest regions of the ISM. Extending these observations to regions of the diffuse ISM, and to microwave frequencies, will provide additional tests of grain and alignment models. An understanding of polarized microwave emission from dust is key to an accurate measurement of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background. The microwave polarization spectrum will put limits on the contributions to polarized emission from spinning dust and vibrating magnetic dust.

19 pages; LaTeX2e uses eas.cls; embeds 10 eps files into 7 Figures in document. To appear in "Sky Polarisation at Far-infrared to Radio Wavelengths: The Galactic Screen before the Cosmic Microwave Background," eds. M.-A. Miville-Deschenes and F. Boulanger. EAS Publications Series, Paris. Proceedings of a conference held at IAS, University of Paris-Sud, September 2005

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• Planck intermediate results. XXI. Comparison of polarized thermal emission from Galactic dust at 353 GHz with interstellar polarization in the visible
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• A Millimeter-Wave Galactic Plane Survey With The BICEP Polarimeter
• The Submillimeter Polarization Spectrum of M17
• Polarization measurement analysis III. Analysis of the polarization angle dispersion function with high precision polarization data
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