Imaging polarimetry of the galaxy NGC 4151: further constraints on the geometry of the narrow emission line region

NGC 4151 shows structure in the levels and pattern of polarization on all size-scales. On the large scale the polarization pattern tends to follow the spiral structure of the galaxy which can be traced to within ∼ 20 arcsec of the nucleus in the I waveband. In the V and Hα wavebands there is a jet-like structure of polarized (scattered) light at position angle 230° which coincides with the ENLR while the nuclear polarization is orthogonal to the arcsec-scale radio jets at position angles of ∼ 80°. The results show that there are polarization features, arising from the scattering of light from the central nucleus, allied to both the radio and ENLR collimation axes