Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
A Compilation of Optical Starlight Polarization Catalogs
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
A Compilation of Optical Starlight Polarization Catalogs
Do you wish to request the book?
A Compilation of Optical Starlight Polarization Catalogs
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
A Compilation of Optical Starlight Polarization Catalogs
2025
Overview
Polarimetry of stars at optical and near-infrared wavelengths is an invaluable tool for tracing interstellar dust and magnetic fields. Recent studies have demonstrated the power of combining stellar polarimetry with distances from the Gaia mission, in order to gain accurate, 3D information on the properties of the interstellar magnetic field and the dust distribution. However, access to optical polarization data is limited, as observations are conducted by different investigators, with different instruments, and are made available in many separate publications. To enable a more widespread accessibility of optical polarimetry for studies of the interstellar medium, we compile a new catalog of stellar polarization measurements. The data are gathered from 81 separate publications spanning two decades since the previous, widely used agglomeration of catalogs by C. Heiles. The compilation contains a total of 55,742 measurements of stellar polarization. We combine this database with stellar distances based on the Gaia Early Data Release 3, thereby providing polarization and distance data for 42,482 unique stars. We provide two separate data products: an extended catalog (containing all polarization measurements) and a unique source catalog (containing a subset of sources excluding duplicate measurements). We propose the use of a common tabular format for the publication of stellar polarization catalogs to facilitate accessibility and increase discoverability in the future.
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Subject
