NASA NTRS · 19870029353
The alignment of interstellar grains
Abstract
The magnetic-field alignment of interstellar silicate grains containing superparamagnetic (SPM) inclusions is investigated theoretically. It is shown that the observed dependence of polarization on wavelength can be fully explained in terms of the alignment mechanisms and the size distribution of the SPM grains, at least for interstellar polarizations peaking at wavelength 550 nm or higher. The implications of this finding for models of grain coagulation and shattering are considered.
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Mathis, J. S.. 1986-09-01. The alignment of interstellar grains. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19870029353
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