An Extended Search for Circularly Polarized Infrared Radiation from the OMC‐1 Region of Orion

Buschermöhle, Michael; Whittet, D. C. B.; Chrysostomou, A.; Hough, J. H.; Lucas, P. W.; Adamson, A. J.; Whitney, B. A.; Wolff, Michael

doi:10.1086/429244

Cited by 40 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…We have confirmed a region of CP in the OMC-1 field, showing a quadrupolar pattern, as found in previous studies (Bailey et al 1998;Buschermöhle et al 2005;Fukue et al 2009). The extent of the CP is ∼210 (0.45 pc).…”

Section: Polarization Properties In Star-forming Regionssupporting

confidence: 91%

Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Survey in Star-Forming Regions: Correlations and Trends

Kwon

Tamura

Hough

et al. 2014

ApJ

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We have conducted a systematic near-infrared circular polarization (CP) survey in star-forming regions, covering high-mass, intermediate-mass, and low-mass young stellar objects. All the observations were made using the SIRPOL imaging polarimeter on the Infrared Survey Facility 1.4 m telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory. We present the polarization properties of 10 sub-regions in 6 star-forming regions. The polarization patterns, extents, and maximum degrees of linear and circular polarizations are used to determine the prevalence and origin of CP in the star-forming regions. Our results show that the CP pattern is quadrupolar in general, the CP regions are extensive, up to 0.65 pc, the CP degrees are high, up to 20%, and the CP degrees decrease systematically from high-to low-mass young stellar objects. The results are consistent with dichroic extinction mechanisms generating the high degrees of CP in star-forming regions.

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Section: Polarization Properties In Star-forming Regionssupporting

confidence: 91%

Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Survey in Star-Forming Regions: Correlations and Trends

Kwon

Tamura

Hough

et al. 2014

ApJ

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“…If this polarized light is then absorbed dichroicly by intervening layers at $120 , the combination would have the effect of decreasing P. Circular polarization (e.g., Martin 1974;Whitney & Wolff 2002) would not be produced, since the two angles are almost orthogonal. In fact, the circular polarization measured at star n is very low, P1% ( Buschermöhle et al 2005), so this possibility cannot be rejected. (3) Polarization from dichroic absorption is low over the whole region between IRc2 and star n because the grain alignment has been disrupted by the outflows seen in H 2 and the masers.…”

Section: Star Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hubble Space TelescopeNICMOS Polarization Measurements of OMC‐1

Simpson

Colgan

Erickson

et al. 2006

ApJ

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We present 2 m polarization measurements of positions in the IRc2 and BN regions of the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC-1) made with NICMOS Camera 2 (0B2 resolution) on the Hubble Space Telescope. Our results are as follows: BN is $29% polarized by dichroic absorption and appears to be the illuminating source for most of the nebulosity to its north and for up to $5 00 to its south. Although the stars are probably all polarized by dichroic absorption, there are a number of compact but non-point-source objects that could be polarized by a combination of both dichroic absorption and local scattering of starlight. We identify several candidate YSOs, including an approximately edge-on bipolar YSO 8B7 east of BN, and a deeply embedded variable star. Additional strongly polarized sources are IRc2-B, IRc2-D, and IRc7, all of which are obviously self-luminous at mid-infrared wavelengths and may be YSOs. None of these is a reflection nebula illuminated by a star located near radio source I, as was previously suggested. Other IRc sources are clearly reflection nebulae: IRc3 appears to be illuminated by IRc2-B or a combination of the IRc2 sources, and IRc4 and IRc5 appear to be illuminated by an unseen star in the vicinity of radio source I, or by star n or IRc2-A. Trends in the magnetic field direction are inferred from the polarization of the 26 stars that are bright enough to be seen as NICMOS point sources. The most polarized star has a polarization position angle different from its neighbors by $40, but in agreement with the grain alignment inferred from millimeter polarization measurements of the cold dust cloud in the southern part of OMC-1.

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“…CPL could for instance be provided either by cyclotron radiation emitted by binary systems containing an accreting magnetic white dwarf (polars) or an isolated magnetic white dwarf with high magnetic fields (10 7 to 10 8 G) (Bailey 2001). Scattering of unpolarized light by magnetically aligned spheroidal interstellar grains in reflection nebulae (Bailey 2001) was proposed to explain the emission of the circularly polarized (17%) infrared radiation observed in OMC-1, a molecular cloud in Orion (Bailey et al 1998), where UV light could also be circularly polarized with a lower polarization rate (Buschermöhle et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of circularly polarized light on amino acid enantiomers produced by the UV irradiation of interstellar ice analogs

Nuevo

Meierhenrich

Muñoz

et al. 2006

A&A

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Aims. Two irradiation experiments on interstellar ice analogs at 80 K under interstellar-like conditions were performed with the LURE SU5 synchrotron beamline to assess, for the first time, the photochemical effect of circularly polarized ultraviolet light (UV CPL) at 167 nm (7.45 eV) with right and left polarizations on such ice mixtures. Methods. This effect was measured by determining the enantiomeric excesses (e.e.s) for two amino acids formed in the solid organic residues produced during the subsequent warm-up of the irradiated samples to room temperature: alanine, the most abundant chiral proteinaceous amino acid produced (both polarizations) and 2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (DAP), a non-proteinaceous amino acid (rightpolarization experiment). These excesses were compared to those measured for the same amino acids produced after unpolarized UV irradiation of the same ice mixtures (expected to be zero), in order to determine the contribution of CPL only. A careful estimate of all the associated uncertainties (statistical and systematic errors) was also developed.Results. It appears that the enantiomeric photochemical effect at this wavelength is weak, since both alanine and DAP e.e.s were found to be small, at most of the order of 1% in absolute values, and tends to be inconclusive since the effects obtained for both amino acids and both polarizations are not those expected. In light of these results, the hypothesis that CPL may be one source responsible for the e.e.s measured for such amino acids in some meteorites and, more generally, that CPL may be directly related to the origin of biomolecular homochirality on Earth is discussed.

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An Extended Search for Circularly Polarized Infrared Radiation from the OMC‐1 Region of Orion

Cited by 40 publications

References 28 publications

Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Survey in Star-Forming Regions: Correlations and Trends

Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Survey in Star-Forming Regions: Correlations and Trends

Hubble Space TelescopeNICMOS Polarization Measurements of OMC‐1

The effects of circularly polarized light on amino acid enantiomers produced by the UV irradiation of interstellar ice analogs

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