# Near-Infrared Polarimetric Study of N159/N160 Star-Forming Complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud

## TL;DR

This study uses near-infrared polarimetry to map magnetic fields in the N159/N160 star-forming complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud, revealing magnetic influence on star formation and interstellar medium structure.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed magnetic field map of N159/N160 using near-infrared polarimetry, linking magnetic structure to star formation processes.

## Key findings

- Magnetic field vectors align with local interstellar structures.
- Polarization ratios follow a power-law dependence on wavelength.
- Magnetic fields support sequential star formation scenario.

## Abstract

We present near-infrared polarimetric results for N159/N160 star-forming complex, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with SIRPOL, the polarimeter of the Infrared Survey Facility (IRSF). We separated foreground sources using their visual extinction derived from near-infrared photometric data. The 45 young stellar candidates and 2 high excitation blobs were matched with our sources, and 12 of them showed the high polarization that was not originated from the interstellar dust. We made a polarimetric catalog of 252, 277, and 89 sources at $J$, $H$, and $K_s$ bands, respectively. Based on the ratios of polarization degree among these bands, we verify that the origin of these polarized sources is the dichroic extinction from the aligned interstellar dust by magnetic field and that the ratios follow a power-law dependence of $P_{\lambda}$ $\sim$ $\lambda^{-0.9}$. The linear polarization vectors projected on the H$\alpha$ image of the complex turned out to follow local magnetic field structure. The vector map overlaid on dust and gas emissions shows the close correlation between magnetic field structure and surrounding interstellar medium. We suggest that the derived magnetic field structure supports the sequential formation scenario of the complex.