Optical polarization map of the Polaris Flare with RoboPol

Understand

The stages before the formation of stars in molecular clouds are poorly understood.

• Insights can be gained by studying the properties of quiescent clouds, such as their magnetic field structure.
• The plane-of-the-sky orientation of the field can be traced by polarized starlight.
• We present the first extended, wide-field ($\sim$10 $\rm deg^2$) map of the Polaris Flare cloud in dust-absorption induced optical polarization of background stars, using the RoboPol polarimeter at the Skinakas Observatory.