Physics of Grain Alignment

dc.creatorA, Lazarian
dc.date2000-03-22
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T12:00:42Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T12:00:42Z
dc.descriptionAligned grains provide one of the easiest ways to study magnetic fields in diffuse gas and molecular clouds. How reliable our conclusions about the inferred magnetic field depends critically on our understanding of the physics of grain alignment. Although grain alignment is a problem of half a century standing recent progress achieved in the field makes us believe that we are approaching the solution of this mystery. I review basic physical processes involved in grain alignment and show why mechanisms that were favored for decades do not look so promising right now. I also discuss why the radiative torque mechanism ignored for more than 20 years looks right now the most powerful means of grain alignment.
dc.description10 pages, review for conference "Cosmic Evolution and Galaxy Formation"
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0003314
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0003314
dc.identifierASPConf.Ser.215:69,2000
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/206872
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titlePhysics of Grain Alignment
dc.typetext

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