Effects of the grain shape on circumstellar dust dynamics and polarization of stellar radiation are analyzed. The grains are modeled by rotating prolate and oblate spheroids. It is shown that an asymmetry of the geometry of light scattering by non-spherical particles results in a component of the radiation pressure force Fpr perpendicular to the wave-vector of incident light. For silicate spheroids, this component can exceed 20 % of |Fpr|. For small metallic grains, the radiation pressure force for a spheroid can be 5-10 times greater than that for a sphere of the same volume. A simple light scattering consideration demonstrates that the distinction in the scattering geometry of aligned non-spherical grains can explain the observed wavelength variations of the positional angle of polarization.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)123-129
Number of pages7
JournalAstrophysics and Space Science
Volume251
Issue number1-2
StatePublished - 1 Dec 1997

    Scopus subject areas

  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics

ID: 34875385