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| EPoS Contribution |
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Mapping the Magnetic Field in the Polaris Flare Cloud with RoboPol
Konstantinos Tassis U Crete/FORTH, Heraklion, GR | |
| The Polaris Flare cloud is a prime example of a starless cloud with density between that of dense star-forming molecular and HI clouds. Such translucent molecular clouds may represent an intermediate stage in cloud evolution, but they have not been adequately studied yet. Herschel has provided important new insight on the density field in Polaris Flare. Magnetic field mapping can complement Herschel data and elucidate the dynamical importance of the magnetic field. The low density of the Polaris Flare cloud makes optical polarimetry of background stars the best strategy for mapping the magnetic field. However, the large angular extent of the cloud makes this a formidable task in terms of telescope time. RoboPol is a novel-design, four-channel optical polarimeter, with no moving parts and a large field of view, which allows the efficient measurement of the polarization of hundreds of stars in the region. RoboPol is mounted on the 1.3m telescope of the Skinakas Observatory in Crete. We present first RoboPol results for the magnetic field structure in over 10 square degrees of the Polaris Flare cloud. | |
| Collaborators: The RoboPol Collaboration |
Suggested Session:
Magnetic Fields |