Dust-polarization maps for local interstellar turbulence

TL;DR

This paper uses magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations to reproduce observed dust polarization patterns, providing insights into the physical origins of the E/B ratio and aiding future cosmic microwave background studies.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that MHD turbulence simulations can accurately reproduce the observed E/B polarization ratio and scale dependence in Galactic dust emission.

Findings

Simulations match the observed E/B ratio of polarized dust emission.

B-mode spectra show scale dependence consistent with observations.

Provides a physical basis for understanding dust polarization patterns.

Abstract

We show that simulations of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the multiphase interstellar medium yield an $E/B$ ratio for polarized emission from Galactic dust in broad agreement with recent $Planck$ measurements. In addition, the $B$-mode spectra display a scale dependence that is consistent with observations over the range of scales resolved in the simulations. The simulations present an opportunity to understand the physical origin of the $E/B$ ratio, and a starting point for more refined models of Galactic emission of use for both current and future CMB experiments.