Near‐Infrared Polarimetric Study of Monoceros R2 IRS

We present H - and K s -band imaging polarimetry for the star-forming region Mon R2 IRS, and spectropolarimetry from 1.2 to 4.2 μm for the infrared sources IRS 2 and IRS 3. The nebular complex in Mon R2 IRS is revealed to be composed of four domains dominated by the infrared sources IRS 1, IRS 2, IRS 3, and IRS 6. IRS 2 is the predominant illuminating source in the region and dominates the emission of the IR ring and most of the western part of the nebulosity. IRS 1 is responsible for the enhanced unpolarized intensity in the southeast part of the IR ring and inside the IR ring. IRS 3 illuminates the bright eastern nebula, and together with IRS 2 illuminates the eastern region inside the IR ring. IRS 6 illuminates a small nebula to the south of the IR ring. An arc structure of polarized intensity is observed abutting the northwest IR ring, consistent with the outflow cavity structure inferred from millimeter-wave observations. IRS 3 is associated with a disklike condensation oriented southeast-northwest, perpendicular to the elongated eastern nebula. The magnetic field in the core region exhibits an hourglass structure oriented north-south.