Resolved polarization changes across H (alpha) in the classical T Tauri star RY Tauri

We present linear H (alpha) spectropolarimetry of the classical T Tauri star RY Tau. A change in the polarization percentage and position angle across H (alpha) is detected, which suggests that line photons are scattered in a rotating disc. We derive the position angle from the slope of the loop in the (Q,U) diagram and find it to be 146 (plus-minus) 3 o. This is perpendicular to the position angle of the disc of 48 (plus-minus) 5 o as deduced from millimeter imaging by Koerner & Sargent (1995). This finding is consistent, as scattering off the imaged millimeter disc is expected to yield a polarization signature in a direction that is rotated by 90 o from this disc. The observed spectropolarimetric behaviour of RY Tau is reminiscent of that seen in a large group of Herbig Ae stars, suggesting a common circumstellar origin of the polarized photons.