Magnetic fields in cometary globules — II. CG 30–31 complex

Abstract

Optical linear polarization measurements of stars in the region of the cometary globules CG 30±31 in Vela±Puppis are presented. A polarization map representing the geometry of the magnetic field in the cometary globule complex is produced. The magnetic field is found to be nearly perpendicular to the cometary tails. This is unlike the case of the cometary globule CG 22 in which the field had earlier been found to be aligned with the tail. The observed field direction is more or less parallel to the bipolar molecular outflow from the young stellar object IRS 4 embedded in the head of CG 30.