Interstellar circular polarization and the dielectric nature of dust grains

The relationship between interstellar linear and circular polarization is reexamined. The derivation of optical constants for relevant materials is described, emphasizing general constraints on the electromagnetic response of an optical medium (Kramers-Kronig relations) which also provide the basis for the subsequent analysis of interstellar polarization. The formulas that relate the observed polarization to the properties of individual grains are summarized. It is shown that the apparent upper limit on the visual absorptivity of grains derived from earlier Mie theory calculations results from a violation of the Kramers-Kronig relations in the assumed optical constants of the particles. The analysis of circular and linear polarization in the interstellar medium is presented, and the implications of this analysis for grain models are addressed.