The polarization of starlight in NGC 654 and IC 5146

Two very young star clusters, NGC 654 and IC 5146 are studied using photographic polarization measures with limiting magnitude B=15sup(m), with a view to determining the nature of magnetic fields in the vicinities of these clusters. Starlight from NGC 654 is found to be polarized in a direction parallel to the galactic plane, the fainter members being more strongly polarized than the brighter ones. Polarization of starlight in IC 5146 is found to be very variable in both magnitude and direction, indicating the presence of complex magnetic fields within the cluster. (Auth.)