Millimeter Wavelength Polarimetry of Galactic Molecular Clouds with POLOCAM

Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio TX

Investigators

Abstract

The project is to build and operate a cryogenically cooled polarimeter that will be used in conjunction with the bolometer camera at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory to map the polarized emission from Galactic molecular clouds at a wavelength of 1.1 mm. By adding a polarizer to the millimeter-wavelength camera, a significant increase in mapping speed over existing submillimeter polarimeters will be achieved. The data obtained with the polarimeter will be used to map out the detailed magnetic structure of various components of the interstellar medium.