Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Galaxy Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-05-13
MNRAS Volume 400,Issue 1,Date: November 2009,Pages: 536-547
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Galaxy Astrophysics
12 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRAS
Scientific paper
The degree to which interstellar grains align with respect to the interstellar magnetic field depends on disaligning as well as aligning mechanisms. For decades, it was assumed that disalignment was due primarily to the random angular impulses a grain receives when colliding with gas-phase atoms. Recently, a new disalignment mechanism has been considered, which may be very potent for a grain that has a time-varying electric dipole moment and drifts across the magnetic field. We provide quantitative estimates of the disalignment times for silicate grains with size > approximately 0.1 micron. These appear to be shorter than the time-scale for alignment by radiative torques, unless the grains contain superparamagnetic inclusions.
Jordan Margaret E.
Weingartner Joseph C.
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