Near-infrared Polarimetry of the Outflow Source AFGL 6366S: Detection of Circular Polarization

Abstract

Abstract We have carried out near-infrared circular and linear imaging polarimetry of the AFGL 6366S region. There is one large infrared reflection nebula associated with the AFGL 6366S cluster and one small infrared reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S NE. Prominent and extended polarized nebulosities over the AFGL 6366S cluster field are found to be composed of several components and local nebula peaks, and those nebulosities are illuminated by at least three sources, which is roughly consistent with a previous study. However, the detailed linear polarization patterns and their degrees differ from the earlier study. The brightest regions of the nebulae are illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source. In addition, we report the first detection of circular polarization (CP) in the reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S. The CP is as large as approximately 4% in the K s band, and the maximum CP extent is approximately 0.45 pc, which is comparable to that for the largest CP regions known to date, such as Orion and Mon R2, although the CP degrees are much smaller. The CP pattern is mostly quadrupolar, and its morphology resembles the shape of the C18O dense core. Therefore, the CP region is probably illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source and its polarization is amplified by the dichroic absorption of the dense core associated with the cluster. This is the ninth source whose degrees of CPs are measured to be greater than 3%, suggesting that large and extended infrared CP regions are common among mid- to high-mass young stellar objects.