  Observations of the properties of dense molecular clouds are critical in
understanding the process of star-formation. One of the most important, but
least understood, is the role of the magnetic fields. We discuss the
possibility of using high-resolution, high-sensitivity radio observations with
the SKA to measure for the first time the in-situ synchrotron radiation from
these molecular clouds. If the cosmic-ray (CR) particles penetrate clouds as
expected, then we can measure the B-field strength directly using radio data.
So far, this signature has never been detected from the collapsing clouds
themselves and would be a unique probe of the magnetic field. Dense cores are
typically ~0.05 pc in size, corresponding to ~arcsec at ~kpc distances, and
flux density estimates are ~mJy at 1 GHz. The SKA should be able to readily
detect directly, for the first time, along lines-of-sight that are not
contaminated by thermal emission or complex foreground/background synchrotron
emission. Polarised synchrotron may also be detectable providing additional
information about the regular/turbulent fields.
