Galactic Dust Polarization in Turbulent Multiphase ISM: On the Origin of the $EE/BB$ Asymmetry

Abstract

Polarized thermal emission from Galactic dust is the dominant foreground for CMB polarization measurements at high frequencies, with its statistical properties shaped by the interplay between turbulence and magnetic fields in the multiphase interstellar medium (ISM). Variations in turbulence regime and density-magnetic-field alignment across the warm (WNM), unstable (UNM), and cold (CNM) neutral media should imprint distinct signatures on the power spectra and $EE/BB$ power ratio, yet the relative contributions of these phases remain poorly constrained. Using high-resolution 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a turbulent multiphase ISM coupled with synthetic dust polarization maps, we quantify phase-dependent turbulence, anisotropy, and alignment properties. We find that the trans-Alfv\'enic and transonic WNM and UNM are strongly anisotropic, exhibiting tight alignment of density and velocity structures with the local magnetic field. In contrast, the super-Alfv\'enic and supersonic CNM displays reduced anisotropy and weak alignment. These dynamical differences are reflected in the statistical scaling of fluctuations: the square root of the second-order velocity structure function exhibits a slope near $1/3$ in the WNM, near $1/2$ in the CNM, and intermediate in the UNM. Comparing our synthetic polarization power spectra with \textit{Planck} measurements, we find that polarization from UNM dust yields spectral slopes closest to the \textit{Planck}-inferred values, whereas WNM and CNM dust produce steeper and shallower spectra, respectively. The WNM yields $EE/BB>2$, the UNM gives $EE/BB\sim2$, and the CNM yields $EE/BB\approx1$. These results suggest that UNM dust may be an important contributor to the polarized foreground under typical high-latitude ISM conditions. We present predictions at 150 GHz to inform foreground modeling and separation.