A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE MAGNETIC-FIELD IN THE ERIDANUS ORION REGION/

Authors
Citation
C. Heiles, A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE MAGNETIC-FIELD IN THE ERIDANUS ORION REGION/, The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series, 111(1), 1997, pp. 245-288
Citations number
71
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
ISSN journal
00670049
Volume
111
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
245 - 288
Database
ISI
SICI code
0067-0049(1997)111:1<245:AHVOTM>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
We present observations of 21 cm emission-line Zeeman splitting at 217 positions in the Orion/Eridanus loop region and incorporate them with stellar polarization data in a partially successful attempt to develo p a holistic interpretation of the magnetic field structure on small a nd large size scales. We develop the ''paraboloidal model'' to describ e the idealized perturbation to ambient magnetic field lines expected for a worm/chimney structure. We compare the magnetic field data to th is model and find fair agreement for part of the region. On the small scale of one of the molecular clouds, previous interpretations invoke a helical field; in contrast, our interpretation invokes the Eridanus shock and its interaction with dense molecular clouds, in which the ob served reversal in the line-of-sight held occurs naturally.