Magnetic Field Structure in a High-Mass Outflow/Disk System

To characterize the magnetic field structure of the outflow and core region within a prototypical high-mass star-forming region, we analyzed polarized CO(3–2)—for the first time observed with the Submillimeter Array—as well as 880 μm submillimeter continuum emission from the high-mass outflow/disk system IRAS 18089−1732. Both emission features with polarization degrees at a few percent level indicate that the magnetic field structure is largely aligned with the outflow/jet orientation from small core scales to larger outflow scales. Although quantitative estimates are crude, the analysis indicates that turbulent energy dominates over magnetic energy. The data also suggest a magnetic field strength increase from the lower-density envelope to the higher-density core.