Nr. Minchin et al., SUBMILLIMETER POLARIMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF S140 AND GL2591 - INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF VIEWING ANGLE ON OBSERVED POLARIZATION POSITION ANGLES, Astronomy and astrophysics, 315(1), 1996, pp. 5-8
We have measured the 800 mu m polarization at three positions towards
S140 and at the flux peak towards GL2591. For both sources the implied
magnetic field direction is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the
outflow axis, implying an (in-between) situation. A review of publish
ed submillimetre polarimetric observations of outflow sources implies
this scenario is common. Whilst beamsize effects are not thought to be
critical, comparison of these observations with the results from a re
cent theoretical model (Bonifacio & Emerson 1995) imply that the 'in-b
etween' situations may actually be due to the effect of viewing angle
on the observed polarization position angle. If the local magnetic fie
ld is uniform and perpendicular to the outflow axis the observed posit
ion angle of polarization for dichroic emission of aligned grains is h
ighly dependent on the viewing angle. The surprising agreement between
mid-infrared and submillimetre emissive polarization position angles
for W3-IRS5, NGC7538-IRS1 and OMC1-IRc2, and their non-orthogonality t
o the mid-IR absorptive polarization position angles, has implications
for the magnetic field configuration around these outflow sources. In
particular, an hour-glass magnetic field geometry may be applicable.