Polarized SiO masers of VX Sgr

The J=5-4, v=1^28^SiO and v=0^29^SiO masers of VX Sgr are shown to be highly linearly polarized with a polarization from ~5% to 60%. Assuming the continuum emission peaks at the stellar position, the masers are found within ~60mas of the star, corresponding to ~100AU at a distance of 1.57kpc.

The linear polarization vectors are consistent with a large-scale magnetic field, with position and inclination angles similar to that of the dipole magnetic field inferred in the H_2_O and OH maser regions at much larger distances from the star. We thus show for the first time that the magnetic field structure in a circumstellar envelope can remain stable from a few stellar radii out to ~1400AU. This provides further evidence supporting the existence of large-scale and dynamically important magnetic fields around evolved stars.