Unveiling the multi-scale structure of the magnetic field in the interior and the environment of molecular clouds

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The goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of continuum polarization measurements to constrain the impact of magnetic fields on star-formation in molecular clouds.The current proposal is focused on the analysis of the potential of multi-wavelength high-spatial resolution continuum polarization measurements for constraining the multi-scale structure of magnetic fields in the interior and the environment of molecular clouds. We will go beyond previous approaches in this field by making use of the self-consistently simulated density, temperature, velocity, and magnetic field structure in molecular clouds and cloud cores, resulting from magneto-hydrodynamical simulations and subsequent three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations. Furthermore, currently developed grain alignment theories, considering the effect of anisotropic radiation fields, e.g., originating from embedded stars, will be applied. Different types of continuum polarization mechanisms which can be traced at optical to millimeter wavelengths will be considered as well as correlations between these and other observables in the different wavelength regimes. The results of this study will provide constraints for the accuracy, spectral coverage, and spatial resolution of polarization measurements required to constrain the multi-scale magnetic field morphology in molecular clouds.