Using Herschel and Planck observations to delineate the role of magnetic fields in molecular cloud structure Juan Soler MPIA, Heidelberg, DE
We present a study of the magnetic field observations, inferred from the polarized thermal emission from dust by the Planck satellite, and the distribution of gas column density, derived from the observations by the Herschel satellite in sub-millimeter wavelengths, toward ten nearby (d<450 pc) molecular clouds. Using the histogram of relative orientations (HRO) technique in combination with tools from circular statistics, we found that the magnetic fields are related to the distribution of column density structures. Moreover, we found a correlation between the magnetic field orientation and the shape of the column density probability density functions (PDFs). Both of these observations suggest that the magnetic fields play a significant role in structuring the interstellar medium in and around molecular clouds. However, we found no evident correlation between the star formation rates and the orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the column density structures in these regions.
Caption: Magnetic fields and dust emission toward the Orion A molecular cloud as revealed by the Planck and Herschel satellites.
	Key publication Suggested Session: Magnetic Fields