A research team with Jungmi KWON (GUAS/NAOJ) has performed
deep imaging linear and circular polarimetry (Note 1) of the ‘Cat's Paw Nebula’
(NGC 6334) (Note 2) located in the constellation Scorpius, successfully
detecting high degrees of circular polarization (CP) of as much as 22% in NGC
6334. The detected CP degree is the highest ever observed.
In addition, the team has presented the first systematic
survey of a combination of linear and circular polarimetry in nine star- and
planet-forming regions. As the results of statistical analysis of observations
of various star-forming regions, CPs were detected in nine star- and
planet-forming regions. Putting it differently, it can be said that CP is a
universal feature of star- and planet-forming regions. The team’s findings
enable us to obtain information about magnetic fields of circumstellar
structures around protostars, which is difficult to obtain using existing
methods.
There is a hypothesis that large CP causes homochirality
(Note 3) of amino acids and that left-handed amino acids come from outer space.
The team’s findings imply an extraterrestrial origin of homochirality of life,
from the universality of CP detected in star- and planet-forming regions.