Near-Infrared Imaging Polarimetry of Young Stellar Objects in rho-Ophiuchi

TL;DR

This study presents near-infrared polarimetry of 20 young stellar objects in rho Ophiuchi, revealing polarization patterns, correlations with evolutionary stages, and modeling of dust grain alignment and magnetic fields.

Contribution

It provides new polarization data for YSOs in rho Ophiuchi and models the scattering and dichroic extinction processes with implications for dust grain properties and magnetic field structure.

Findings

Polarizations <6% are common, with higher values in Class I YSOs.

Centrosymmetric polarization patterns indicate scattering dominates.

Inner core polarization suggests a toroidal magnetic field.

Abstract

The results of a near-infrared (J H K LP) imaging linear polarimetry survey of 20 young stellar objects (YSOs) in rho Ophiuchi are presented. The majority of the sources are unresolved, with K-band polarizations, P_K < 6 per cent. Several objects are associated with extended reflection nebulae. These objects have centrosymmetric vector patterns with polarization discs over their cores; maximum polarizations of P_K > 20 per cent are seen over their envelopes. Correlations are observed between the degree of core polarization and the evolutionary status inferred from the spectral energy distribution. K-band core polarizations >6 per cent are only observed in Class I YSOs. A 3D Monte Carlo model with oblate grains aligned with a magnetic field is used to investigate the flux distributions and polarization structures of three of the rho Oph YSOs with extended nebulae. A rho proportional to r^(-1.5) power law for the density is applied throughout the envelopes. The large-scale centrosymmetric polarization structures are due to scattering. However, the polarization structure in the bright core of the nebula appears to require dichroic extinction by aligned non-spherical dust grains. The position angle indicates a toroidal magnetic field in the inner part of the envelope. Since the measured polarizations attributed to dichroic extinction are usually <10 per cent, the grains must either be nearly spherical or very weakly aligned. The higher polarizations observed in the outer parts of the reflection nebulae require that the dust grains responsible for scattering have maximum grain sizes <=1.05 microns.