We present results of our R-band polarimetry of a bright-rimmed cloud, IC1396A (with BRC 36), associated with the H II region S131 and the cometary globule LDN 1616 to study their magnetic field geometry. The distances of these clouds have been reported to be ~ 750 pc and ~ 450 pc, respectively in the literature. The young open cluster Trumpler 37 in the vicinity of IC1396A and the high mass stars in the Orion belt near L1616 are found to be responsible for the structure of these clouds. We made polarimetry of foreground stars inferred from their distances measured by the Hipparcos satellite to subtract the foreground contribution to the observed polarization results. We discuss the optical polarimetric results and compare our findings with MHD simulations towards BRCs and CGs.

Infrared emission maps are constructed at 12.5, 25, 60, and 100 μ m for dark globules B5, B34, B133, B134, B361, L134 and L1523 by using Infrared Astronomical Satellite data base. These clouds are selected on the basis of their appearance in Palomar print as dark obscuring objects with angular sizes in the range of 3 to 30 arcminutes. The short wavelength(12.5 and 25 μ m ) maps show the embedded infrared sources. We found many such sources only in B5, B361 and B34 regions, Diffuse component at 12.5 and 25 μ m , possibly arising from the stochastically heated very small dust grains(a < 0.01 μ m ) by interstellar radiation field, is found in B361 and L1523 regions. Such emission is characterized by the limb brightening, and it is confirmed in L1523 and in B361. Infrared emissions at the long wavelengths(60 and 100 μ m ) are due to colder dusts with temperature less than 20 K. The distribution of color index determined by the ratio 60 to 100 μ m intensities shows monotonic decrease of dust temperature toward the center. The black body temperature determined from these ratios is found to lie between 16 and 23 K. Such temperature is possible for small(i.e., a ≲ 0.01 μ m ) graphite grains if the grains are mainly heated by interstellar radiation field. Thus IRAS 100 and 60 μ m emissions are arising mainly from small grains in the colud. The distribution of such dust grains implied from the emissivity distributions at 100 and 60 μ m resembles that of isothermal sphere. This contrasts to earlier findings of much steeper distribution of dusts contributing visible extinction. These dust grains are mainly larger ones(i.e., a ≃ 0.1 μ m ). Therefore we conclude that the average grain size increase, toward the cloud center.