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The magnetic field structure of the Small Magellanic Cloud

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2008

Antonio Mário Magalhães ,
Aiara Lobo Gomes ,
Aline de Almeida Vidotto ,
Cláudia Vilega Rodrigues ,
Antonio Pereyra ,
John Wisniewski ,
Karen Bjorkman ,
Jon Bjorkman ,
Marilyn Meade  and
Brian L. Babler
Antonio Mário Magalhães
Affiliation:
Depto. de Astronomia, IAG, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil email: mario@astro.iag.usp.br
Aiara Lobo Gomes
Affiliation:
Depto. de Astronomia, IAG, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil email: mario@astro.iag.usp.br
Aline de Almeida Vidotto
Affiliation:
Depto. de Astronomia, IAG, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil email: mario@astro.iag.usp.br
Cláudia Vilega Rodrigues
Affiliation:
INPE/DAS, S.J. dos Campos, SP, Brazil
Antonio Pereyra
Affiliation:
ON/CNPq, Brazil
John Wisniewski
Affiliation:
University of Washington, USA
Karen Bjorkman
Affiliation:
University of Toledo, USA
Jon Bjorkman
Affiliation:
University of Toledo, USA
Marilyn Meade
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Brian L. Babler
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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Abstract

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We describe two studies of the interstellar magnetic field in regions of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), including those affected by the interaction with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We use optical polarization data from aligned grains in the interstellar medium of the SMC in order to map the sky-projected direction of the magnetic field and determine characteristics of the SMC and Pan-Magellanic field structures. The earlier, photoelectric data are reanalyzed and they provide values for the average projected magnetic field intensity (1.7 × 10−6 G) and the random field component intensity (3.5 × 10−6 G). Another on-going program uses imaging data and, when concluded, will allow more local estimates of the field intensity in the SMC NE/Wing regions. Additional goals include cross-correlating our field mapping results with those of point sources and structures found by the Spitzer Space Telescope in the SMC between 3.6 and 8 μm.

Keywords

polarizationtechniques: polarimetricgalaxies: individual (SMC)Magellanic Cloudsgalaxies: magnetic fields
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S256: The Magellanic System: Stars, Gas, and Galaxies , July 2008 , pp. 178 - 183
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009

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