Speaker: Prof. Archana Soam (India Institute of Astrophysics)
Title: Threads & flows in the dusty universe: Importance of astronomical polarimetry and spectroscopy in probing star-forming regions
Abstract:
The role of magnetic fields (B-fields) and turbulence in star formation is still under debate, but considering the magnetized nature of molecular clouds, we expect B-fields to have a significant impact on this process. Observations of molecular clouds in different environments using different astronomical techniques helps in understanding the various important aspects of star formation. I mostly worked towards mapping B-fields in nearby low-mass star-forming regions in different environments viz. molecular clouds in isolation and HII regions at their different evolutionary stages using multi-band polarization observations. This was done using optical, near-IR, and sub-mm polarization observations to map B-fields from pc to sub-pc scales. In this talk, I will briefly present my work on B-fields in various Galactic regions i.e. cores, filaments, and HII regions. We know that grain alignment is the key to understand interstellar dust polarization. Therefore, I will mostly emphasize on my recently accomplished work on the investigation of grain alignment efficiency in PDRs using dust polarization measurements.
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