Optical and Magnetic Properties of Dust Grains

TL;DR

This paper reviews the optical and magnetic properties of interstellar dust grains, emphasizing how grain geometry influences light scattering and absorption, and discusses radiative torques and magnetic susceptibility in grain alignment.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of how optical and magnetic properties affect dust grain alignment, highlighting the role of radiative torques and magnetic susceptibility.

Findings

Grain geometry significantly influences optical properties.

Radiative torques can induce suprathermal rotation of grains.

Magnetic susceptibility impacts grain alignment mechanisms.

Abstract

The optical and magnetic properties of dust grains are reviewed, as they relate to the problem of interstellar grain alignment. Grain geometry plays an important role in determining the optical properties, and scattering and absorption of starlight will produce radiative torques which may drive grains to suprathermal rates of rotation in interstellar clouds; these radiative torques appear likely to play an active role in the alignment process. The likely magnetic properties of grains are discussed, with particular attention to the imaginary part of the magnetic susceptibility.