The magnetic field structure of the small Magellanic cloud

• Grant number: 08/08155-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2009
• End date: December 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium
• Principal Investigator: Antônio Mário Magalhães
• Grantee: Aiara Lobo Gomes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 01/12589-1 - Stars, the interstellar medium and their interrelationships, AP.TEM

Abstract

The aim of this project is to study the interstellar magnetic field in regions of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) affected by the interaction between the Small and the Large Magellanic Clouds. We use optical polarimetric data to detect the polarization from aligned grains in the interstellar magnetic field of the SMC. The optical linear polarization will map the sky-projected direction of the magnetic field and allow us to determine the characteristics of the SMC and Pan-Magellanic field structures. We will cross-correlate our results with those of point sources and structures found by the Sptizer satellite in the SMC between 3.6 and 8 microns. We will use the angles dispersion of the polarization vectors in this region to estimate the sky-projected component of the magnetic field intensity.(AU)