The mechanical alignment of dust (MAD)

Abstract

Context. Observations of polarized light emerging from aligned dust grains are commonly exploited to probe the magnetic field orientation in astrophysical environments. However, the exact physical processes that result in a coherent large-scale grain alignment are still far from being fully constrained. Aims. In this work, we aim to investigate the impact of a gas-dust drift on a microscopic level, potentially leading to a mechanical alignment of fractal dust grains and subsequently to dust polarization. Methods. We scanned a wide range of parameters of fractal dust aggregates in order to statistically analyze the average grain alignment behavior of distinct grain ensembles. In detail, the spin-up efficiencies for individual aggregates were determined utilizing a Monte Carlo approach to simulate the collision, scattering, sticking, and evaporation processes of gas on the grain surface. Furthermore, the rotational disruption of dust grains was taken into account to estimate the upper limit of possible grain rotation. The spin-up efficiencies were analyzed within a mathematical framework of grain alignment dynamics in order to identify long-term stable grain alignment points in the parameter space. Here, we distinguish between the cases of grain alignment in the direction of the gas-dust drift and the alignment along the magnetic field lines. Finally, the net dust polarization was calculated for each collection of stable alignment points per grain ensemble. Results. We find the purely mechanical spin-up processes within the cold neutral medium to be sufficient enough to drive elongated grains to a stable alignment. The most likely mechanical grain alignment configuration is with a rotation axis parallel to the drift direction. Here, roundish grains require a supersonic drift velocity, while rod-like elongated grains can already align for subsonic conditions. We predict a possible dust polarization efficiency in the order of unity resulting from mechanical alignment. Furthermore, a supersonic drift may result in a rapid grain rotation where dust grains may become rotationally disrupted by centrifugal forces. Hence, the net contribution of such a grain ensemble to polarization drastically reduces. In the presence of a magnetic field, the drift velocity required for the most elongated grains to reach a stable alignment is roughly one order of magnitude higher compared to the purely mechanical case. We demonstrate that a considerable fraction of a grain ensemble can stably align with the magnetic field lines and report a possible dust polarization efficiency of 0.6–0.9, indicating that a gas-dust drift alone can provide the conditions required to observationally probe the magnetic field structure. We predict that magnetic field alignment is highly inefficient when the direction of the gas-dust drift and magnetic field lines are perpendicular. Conclusions. Our results strongly suggest that mechanical alignment has to be taken into consideration as an alternative driving mechanism where the canonical radiative torque alignment theory fails to account for the full spectrum of available dust polarization observations.