Magnetic fields in AGB stars and (proto-) Planetary Nebulae

International audienceDuring its quick transition to the Planetary Nebula stage, the Asymptotic Giant Branch star will completely change its geometry. This AGB stellar evolution stage is characterized by a high mass loss driven by the radiation pressure. Strong magnetic field may rule the mass loss geometry and the global shaping of these objects. Following our previous work on the polarization of the SiO maser emission in a representative sample of O-rich evolved stars, we present here a study towards C-rich objects and PPN/PN objects to obtain unbiased conclusions. Using Xpol at the IRAM-30 m telescope, we have conducted CN N=1-0 observations to investigate the Zeeman effect in this molecule and draw conclusion on the evolution of the magnetic field and its influence during the transition of an AGB star to the PN stage. Following the analysis described by Crutcher et al. (1996) we derive an estimate of the magnetic field