Dr. Daniel Clemens, at Boston University, will undertake a 1.6-micron absorption polarimetry survey toward a large number of stars in the first Galactic quadrant. The results of the Galactic Plane Infrared Polarization Survey (GPIPS) will be used for studies of the Galactic magnetic field, and to obtain stellar photometry and spectral energy distributions and the properties of interstellar dust. Such studies benefit from overlapping, ongoing surveys at other wavelengths, making this survey timely and complementary to other efforts.
The data will be released to the general astronomical community for use in a variety of studies relating to Galactic structure. For the public and outreach professionals, the deep panoramic images GPIPS provides will be useful in lectures, textbooks, news releases and classrooms. GPIPS will also provide for training of graduate and undergraduate students.
