Probing 3D magnetic fields - I. Polarized dust emission

Polarized dust emission is widely used to trace the plane-of-the-sky (POS) component of interstellar magnetic fields in two dimensions. Its potential to access 3D magnetic fields, including the inclination angle of the magnetic fields relative to the line of sight (LOS), is crucial for a variety of astrophysical problems. Based on the statistical features of observed polarization fraction and POS Alfven Mach number MA,+/- distribution, we present a new method for estimating the inclination angle. The magnetic field fluctuations raised by anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are taken into account in our method. By using synthetic dust emission generated from 3D compressible MHD turbulence simulations, we show that the fluctuations are preferentially perpendicular to the mean magnetic field. We find the inclination angle is the major agent for depolarization, while fluctuations of magnetic field strength and density have an insignificant contribution. We propose and demonstrate that the mean inclination angle over a region of interest can be calculated from the polarization fraction in a strongly magnetized 2 reference position, where MA ,+/- << 1. We test and show that the new method can trace the 3D magnetic fields in sub-Alfvenic, trans-Alfvenic, and moderately superAlfvenic conditions (0.4 < MA < 1.2). We numerically quantify that the difference of the estimated inclination angle and actual inclination angle ranges from 0 degrees to 20 degrees with a median value of < 10 degrees.

Automated summary

Polarized dust emission is commonly used for studying interstellar magnetic fields. This study presents a new method for estimating the inclination angle of the magnetic fields based on observed polarization fraction and statistical features. The method takes into account magnetic field fluctuations caused by anisotropic MHD turbulence. The results show that the inclination angle is the main factor for depolarization, while fluctuations in magnetic field strength and density are less significant.