The Shapes and Alignment Properties of Interstellar Dust Grains

Details The Shapes and Alignment Properties of Interstellar Dust Grains The Shapes and Alignment Properties of Interstellar Dust Grains

Sep 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...450..663h&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal v.450, p.663

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

92

Infrared: Ism: Continuum, Ism: Dust, Extinction, Polarization

Scientific paper

We use the results of far-infrared polarimetry to set limits on the shapes and degrees of alignment of dust grains in interstellar clouds. Assuming spheroidal grains the upper limit to the ratio of the short axis to the long axis is ˜0.9 if the grains are oblate and ˜0.8 if they are prolate. By comparing the results of mid- infrared spectropolarimetry with calculated polarization spectra we confirm that the grains are oblate and estimate that the ratio of axes is not lower than ˜⅓. The best fit is obtained for a ratio of ˜⅔. Assuming a ratio ˜⅔ (oblate) we infer that the maximum degrees of polarization observed in the far-infrared are within a factor of ˜4 of the value for perfect alignment and approximately equal to the value for optimum alignment by ambipolar diffusion.

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