Wide-Field Infrared Imaging Polarimetry of the NGC 6334 Region: A Nest of Infrared Reflection Nebulae

We report the detection of 18 infrared reflection nebulae (IRNe) in the J, H, and Ks linear polarimetric observations of the NGC 6334 massive star-formation complex, of which 16 IRNe are new discoveries. Our images cover ~180 arcmin2, some of the widest near-infrared polarization data in star-formation regions so far. These IRNe are most likely associated with embedded young OB stars at different evolutionary phases, showing a variety of sizes, morphologies, and polarization properties, which can be divided into four categories. We argue that the different nebula characteristics are a possible evolutionary sequence of circumstellar structures around young massive stars.