Complex Scattered Radiation Fields and Multiple Magnetic Fields in the Protostellar Cluster in NGC 2264

Author(s)
Jungmi Kwon, Motohide Tamura, Ryo Kandori, Nobuhiko Kusakabe, Jun Hashimoto, Yasushi Nakajima, Fumitaka Nakamura, Takahiro Nagayama, Tetsuya Nagata, James H. Hough, Michael W. Werner, Paula S. Teixeira
Abstract

Near-infrared imaging polarimetry in the J, H, and Ks bandshas been carried out for the protostellar cluster region around NGC 2264IRS 2 in the Monoceros OB1 molecular cloud. Various infrared reflection nebula clusters (IRNCs) associated with NGC 2264 IRS 2 and the IRAS 12S1 core, as well as local infrared reflection nebulae (IRNe), were detected. The illuminating sources of the IRNe were identified with known or new near- and mid-infrared sources. In addition, 314 point-likesources were detected in all three bands and their aperture polarimetrywas studied. Using a color-color diagram, reddened field stars and diskless pre-main-sequence stars were selected to trace the magneticfield (MF) structure of the molecular cloud. The mean polarization position angle of the point-like sources is 81° ± 29° inthe cluster core, and 58° ± 24° in the perimeter of the cluster core, which is interpreted as the projected direction on the skyof the MF in the observed region of the cloud. The Chandrasekhar-Fermimethod gives a rough estimate of the MF strength to be about 100 μG.A comparison with recent numerical simulations of the cluster formation implies that the cloud dynamics is controlled by the relatively strong MF. The local MF direction is well associated with that of CO outflowfor IRAS 12 S1 and consistent with that inferred from submillimeter polarimetry. In contrast, the local MF direction runs roughlyperpendicular to the Galactic MF direction.

Organisation(s)
Department of Astrophysics
External organisation(s)
European Southern Observatory (Germany), California Institute of Technology (Caltech), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Graduate University for Advanced Studies , Nagoya University, Kyoto University, University of Hertfordshire
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics
Volume
741
No. of pages
30
ISSN
0004-637X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/35
Publication date
11-2011
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103004 Astrophysics
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/complex-scattered-radiation-fields-and-multiple-magnetic-fields-in-the-protostellar-cluster-in-ngc-2264(88293809-73a4-476a-8474-3f34aec20e88).html